Crossroads
by dib07
Summary: Sonadow. Sonic finds out very quickly that he is in an abusive relationship. Shadow clearly loves him but has issues to solve of his own. Pressured, Sonic has few outlets. Will they make sense of it all? Or will they go down different roads? Rated M.
1. Chapter 1 Restricted

_~ A Sonadow fanfiction ~_

_Dib07: This is my first full Sonadow story, so be nice and I would LOVE support, comments and reviews! If you do not like Sonadow, then please avoid this story._

_I try to keep all of my characters in character._

_This is a slight continuation from: First Train Home, but can be read as purely StandAlone._

_You'll notice straight away how different the settings are for this story. It's in the Sonic X universe, but they never left Chris's homeworld. They stayed and made their own lives for each other. All the characters are older and have to make responsibilites. Also, Sonic, like all my previous fics, is smaller in stature than Shadow. Right, I think that is everything, let us begin!_

**_Warning: This story contains angst and tragedy._**

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything Sonic. Sega does._

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**Chapter 1: Restricted**

Sonic piled his stack of things in the grand master bedroom, being careful and organized. He didn't own that many things, mostly a few basket balls, lots of CD's, a few DVDs, books and a change of winter clothes if the weather got particularly nasty. When he went to unpack Shadow's things, he was amazed and shocked to find that all Shadow had packed for their new home was ammunition, guns, packets with guns in them, the odd grenade here and there, more guns, magazines of guns, and explosive case bullets that came packed in neat little shoeboxes.

"Geez, is he going to defend himself against an army of zombies or something?"

"Sonic!" Shadow roared from downstairs as the gorgeous smell of freshly cooked dinner wafted up the stairs, "dinner's nearly ready! Hurry the hell up!"

"Okay dokie." He zipped up Shadow's bag. He could unpack himself. Heck, he might shoot himself by accident hauling _that_ many guns around.

As he straightened his back to go down the stairs, the phone on the bare, plain wall let out an unaccustomed shrill noise which made him jump outright. His first thoughts were of perhaps Tails or Chris. No one else had their new house number yet.

Clipping the phone from its cheap, plastic cradle, he spoke into it crisply, "yellow?"

"Sonic, is that you? You sound weird on the phone."

The blue wonder leaned against the chipped wall, smiling to himself as he clutched the phone close to his ear. "Good to talk to ya, buddy! That was quick! I only just saw you an hour ago!"

"Did the train ride go okay?" The kitson sounded worried. He had been anxious about Sonic leaving all week once the decision was final. Not everyone had been happy with his choice either. Amy hadn't spoken to him for nearly a month, and actually, nether was Knuckles. Things had been getting rather crowded at Chris's house, and after saving up for a place of their own, things changed. Like they always did. Tails was most upset when Sonic had decided to bail and go with Shadow. Sonic had promised he'd make constant visits, despite the distance. But Tails had a good job, sold a lot of machinery and techno-wizardry to humans, and had made quite a bit of money, all of which had been used to buy their new place.

"Yeah, it went swell. The noises didn't bother me that much either. It was kinda… fun. Weird… but fun."

"I miss you, brother. When will I next see you?"

"Urm, we're holding the party next Wednesday. Invite Chris, dude, and don't forget Amy and Helen."

"Yep. Everybody's down."

"Okay, good."

"SONIC!" Came a raged shout from the ground floor. Sonic's ears drew down at the noise.

"Sorry, lil' buddy, but I gotta go. I've been summoned!"

"Okay. Ring me back tonight, all right? And any luck finding a job?"

"Nope. Not yet, but early days. Goodnight, Tails."

"Goodnight…"

Sonic hung up with a heavy heart. This move was going to be hard on him too… he wasn't sure if this had even been the right choice. They were in debt, owed a lot to their friends, and had no job on which to start. The newspapers were loaded with jobs, but they all required human subjects to fill their contracts, not animals. He needed to find something he was good at, and apply it in this human world. The others had helped enough, and he felt guilty leaning on them all the time. It was time to stand on his own two feet. He was old enough.

The dinner table, though agonizingly plain, had been set up beautifully by Shadow. Yes he was rough, morbid, cynical and somber, but he had this artistic talent and attention to detail that Sonic really liked. Inside the dark hedgehog was a creature truly sensitive and very remarkable despite his hard edge. Like dark chocolate. Bitter, but svelte and beautiful.

"Did you wash your hands?" Shadow asked curtly, his voice firm as he finished placing the knives and forks. Shadow loved using cutlery, another thing Sonic did not like so much. Chris had tried to tame his table manners, and now it looked as though Shadow would take up the slack.

"Urm, no…"

"Then hurry it up."

He came back once again, drying his hands by rubbing them up and down his thighs. Shadow looked unimpressed but said nothing. They had yet to unpack their towels and other bathroom assortments besides.

Sonic sat down at the opposite end of the table to Shadow, admiring the single fat candle in the middle flickering here and there. He was served hot vegetable soup. Shadow had done himself a full course steak with all the trimmings and enough gravy to drown Alaska. It looked as though Shadow was prepared to cook two different meals every day for the rest of their lives, unless of course he had made a special effort that would not be seen again. And well, Sonic could cook too; he just usually couldn't wait for the actual 'cooking' process and went for raw fruits and vegetables.

"Looks amazing, Shades. Thank you."

Shadow cut into his steak, shrugging nonchalantly. "You wanted to discuss something with me?" Before dipping into a juicy bite, he opened a bottle of wine by popping the cork out with minimal fuss and poured out two full glasses. Being polite, Sonic leaned forward and took the glass, forcing himself to take a sip. The taste made him lurch back, pulling a face.

"Erm, yeah. No luck with a job, so we really, really need to get our hands on some money! We could sell a few things! I have some spare clothes I could sell, some CDs…"

"You shouldn't worry. We'll be fine."

"We need to get jobs to afford new furniture and make this place a home! We also need to pay Amy and Tails back for lending us the money for the house to begin with, plus the bills!"

"We don't need jobs! We'll be fine!"

"No we won't! We need money!"

"Then just promote treadmills or something! Or pose in front of the camera promoting an ad!"

"Well, I _am _sexy!" Sonic said with a flippant smile, of which Shadow merely shook his head at and continued eating. Seeing that he'd get nothing more out of him, Sonic tucked into his soup, the succulent taste and smell making him absolutely ravenous.

Shadow had already shown him round the whole house before it got dark. The garden was of medium size considering people round this area usually only had a patio and a few potted plants. There was also a Jacuzzi, of which Sonic was less keen on. But what troubled him the most (and what he knew he should have expected) was that there was only one bedroom. The deluxe master bedroom. No singles. Yes he should have been expecting it, it was all so sudden. But he wasn't sure if he was ready to commit himself one hundred percent. It left him feeling… restricted more than words could ever say. Shadow even coming out to him had been bizarre. Sonic had just been to the gym, since there was less places to run due to all the busy roads, shops and people all over the place. Chris had treated them all to dinner at Big Joe's down the street, and by this point, Shadow had clearly been following them. He came in, asked for some privacy with Sonic and in short… spewed it all out. It wasn't abnormal. He had been flittering everywhere, shadowing their activities like a regular outcast. Sonic assumed it was because he was bored. Now he knew that the only attraction had only ever been him.

Why? He had no idea.

Maybe it was because he was lonely too, and that by deciding to spend some time with Shadow, he'd get to the real problem maybe. But no matter how hard he tried to bend it, Shadow's feelings remained the same. And he… wasn't sure if he was ready to bond with him.

"Let me show you." Shadow had whispered into his ear that evening, pressing him against the bathroom stall out of sight from his friends and the public. "If you still say no, we'll drop it."

Truth of it all was, Sonic enjoyed the attention, and the treatment. He liked Shadow's protective side. His wealth of knowledge. His adult nature. His values. And his strength. It was then that Sonic realized what he was missing, and jumped into the relationship without a paddle.

He looked back at his friends, and saw that he had made a somewhat selfish decision. They were happy for him, but now Tails was without a constant companion and Chris without a friend.

Was this... right?

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><p><strong>Dib07:<strong> Short, I know. Don't worry the next one will be much longer. Anything you'd like to see in this? I can slide in some ideas. I am open to suggestion. Other than that this story is all planned out. Please R & R!


	2. Chapter 2 We're So Full of Secrets

**Dib07: Thank you soooo much for the reviews! Enjoy the next instalment! And please, oh please review readers! I really want your opinion and thoughts and such!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2:<strong> We're So Full of Secrets

Shadow was stacking dishes into the dishwasher, draping the towel over the rail and picking up the last of the unused utensils from the table.

Through the kitchen window overlooking their miniature garden was the gossamer full moon, followed by its congregation of astute stars. His eyes trailed downwards in thought, and caught his studious expression from the reflection against the darkened window panel. His red eyes gleamed like lustrous rubies of fire.

Having Sonic here made him more complete, but he still didn't feel… happy. There were too many things to forget. Too many things to remember.

He was sure that after giving Sonic time to adjust, they'd both he happier.

"So, more job hunting tomorrow?" He inquired, feeling somewhat more exultant and settled since they had unpacked much of their things and had got dinner out of the way.

Shadow felt like they had come to the edge together after wondering on a road for too long. Hand in hand. They had now bridged the gap, jumped across that edge into new territory. Unknown territory. But they had made the jump together into the future. Into the unknown.

Things could only get better.

"Sonic?" He turned round when his ears didn't catch a response, a soapy plate in his hands. He was alone in the kitchen. "Hey? Where the hell did you go?" _Hedgehog sure is quiet when he wanders off. _He stacked the last plate, closed the dishwasher and began to look for him, undoing his green apron at the back.

Quietly, he walked upstairs, wondering where he had got to when he heard sounds coming from the bathroom. He sauntered across the landing and faced the bathroom door that was left open by several inches. There was a lot of splashing and gurgling to be heard. It was absurd to think that he was having a bath, and it certainly didn't sound like the showerhead spraying into the tub either.

"Sonic?" Unashamed, he gently pushed the door open. What he saw was not what he had been expecting. Sonic was leaning over the toilet rim, retching into the porcelain basin. Upon hearing him enter, Sonic peered round guiltily.

"Hiya… Shades."

"Are… are y-you okay?" Was all that Shadow managed to tumble out of his mouth.

Sonic straightened up from his slouched position over the toilet and flushed before Shadow got a chance to see. "Yeah, just fine."

"If you weren't feeling well, why didn't you tell me?"

"I was just a little queasy. No biggy." He took a tumbler of water from the shelf beneath the bathroom mirror just low enough for him to reach, took a mouthful, spat it into the sink and then drank the rest down.

"So long as you're feeling better…" Shadow muttered, finding the whole thing unsettling.

"Well, Shades? Bed? I've never slept in a double before! I hope you don't snore!"

"Just promise me you won't be sleeping on roofs anymore."

"Way too cold for that!"

XXXXXXX

True to Sonic's word, snowy gales started coming in from the south. The garden bench outside began to grow frosted skin. Icicles started to form on the guttering and under the eaves of the house.

Shadow allowed Sonic to snuggle up to him. Both were unused to contact from any kind of intimacy. So on unspoken, mutual ground, they decided to just sleep cuddled up together; enjoying the rapport.

Sonic, still tired from the journey of getting here and all the mental anxieties of changing home and leaving friends, had fallen straight to sleep, head tucked against Shadow's chest.

Both their shoes had been left in a heap at the foot of their bed. The red glaring digital numbers on the alarm clock on the nightstand read exactly 01:30am.

Shadow's sensitive fingers roamed and glided over Sonic's ears. It felt weird to be so close to another for the first time… good, but strange. His fur smelt like fresh cotton and almonds. His left foot twitched every quarter of an hour as if he were running in his dreams. His weight was again something to get used to. Shadow adjusted position several times to get comfortable, and never once moved Sonic off him.

And as always, despite this strange bliss, he couldn't sleep.

Insomnia had plagued him for years, and even with someone else here with him, he still could not sleep.

Nothing seemed to cure it.

After all this time…

… After trying to change…

…he still could not forget _her._

His human sister… Lost forever to the fires of hate, betrayal and pain.

Right now, Sonic seemed more like a pet. A temporary distraction from it all; that wasn't working.

"Maria…"

XXXXXXX

The following morning, the day was sunny and bright despite the damp frost webbing the lawn and sidewalks.

"Feeling okay?" Shadow asked, coming down the stairs to see him off.

Sonic nodded, plucking a red coat from the clothes rack and slipping into it. "Better than ever. I'm going into town again with Chris and Tails to look for anything on the market. I'll try not to be too long."

"Why are you wearing that?" He asked, more focused on the attire than Sonic's reason for leaving.

The little blue hog pulled the zip up and slipped into his footwear. "It's kinda nippy outside. The winters here are getting worse. Besides, wearing one of these makes me look kinda cool!"

"But you don't need one!" Shadow implied, folding his red-lipped arms. And he was right to persist. For as long as he had known Sonic (which equated to about 15 years), he had _never _worn clothing.

"Not everyone has such thick, luscious fur like you! Gimme a kiss for luck!"

"Like you need anymore." Feeling rather awkward, he bent down and pecked Sonic on the cheek as if he was approaching a caged tiger. Upon contact, Sonic leapt up and gave him a tight embrace. Shadow, so unconversant to loving gestures or contact of any kind, was too shocked and surprised to react. Sonic let go, smiling as he opened the door, waving goodbye.

"See yous later, Shades!"

Shadow crept up to the doorway, watching his new little partner jog down the sunny street towards town.

_I wish he could have stayed longer… _

Shadow backed away a step to close the door. After finishing up with the final bout of unpacking, he studied the tired old walls, wondering what new colors to paint with. Restless, he returned to the lounge, made himself a cup of tea and settled on the sofa. Pressing a button on the remote control, he switched on the small television to lay eyes on his usual TV soaps.

The peeling sunlight gloated through the window, scorching the characters on the TV screen and causing Shadow to throw a hand up over his eyes. Cursing softly, he made his way to the window to throw down a blind when at that precise moment a young blonde girl was walking down the pathway past their house. On her back was a backpack while she clutched an armful of books. Unless his eyes were deceiving him, she looked exactly like…

_Maria…_

Straining his face against the glass, he watched her go by, obviously on her way to school.

This was unprecedented… but at the same time…

Worried about losing her, and infatuated by the similarities, he threw open the front door and dashed out without locking it behind him.

She had already gone round the corner of the road.

Curious… lonely… confused, he followed her like a lost puppy, forgetting about stealth and tossing aside his impervious, paranoid natures.

He took to the shadows, dived between garbage cans, sullenly stayed glued to alleyways and narrow corners where even if she turned – she would not see him.

She didn't go far, merely kept to the sidewalk with no friends to walk beside. Eventually the school grounds came into view over the brow of the hill.

XXXXXXX

Sonic catapulted into Chris's arms, body impacting against his soft parka. Wrapping his skinny arms around his neck, they hugged each other as if they had been separated for well over a decade. The boy he had always known and loved had grown into a tall, strong adult. Always having a passion for animals, he took a veterinary course in Minton College after having a part time job in the fast food industry to earn some money for the course.

After surviving a four-year course, he was well on his way into becoming an animal surgeon. Rarely did they get to spend any time together now, so this reunion was extra special.

"I can't believe I have to get a train to see my favorite hedgehog!" Christopher remarked, giving him a squeeze back. "How did the move go, big guy?"

"Snazzy coat too!" Tails complimented, noticing Sonic's red coat with a smile.

After being set down, Sonic regarded them both with a cheerful grin. "The move went as smoothly as honey! Gonna take some getting used to o' course, but all things take time! And soon it'll be home!"

"Yer partner laid any ground rules yet?" Chris asked, winking at him in a teasing way.

"Hey, I'm not going to be the wife of the relationship!"

"Sonic," Tails took him into a warm embrace too, "Amy's still mad and didn't want to come. She's still coming to the party, but you know how she is. She's had her heart set on your for years."

"I know." They pulled away, "so long as you aren't jealous!"

"Just don't get a STD!" Tails said with a laugh. "Now, let's go and eat someplace!"

"Again? You guys are always eating!" Sonic joked.

"So? The food here is good! Come on!" Tails took his hand and led him into town. The sky overhead was clear and sunny. Slanting sunlight glared off car windows and shop corners in brilliant flashes.

"I'm still looking for a job." Sonic explained, "It's not easy. Who wants a blue hedgehog to work for them? They always think I'm fresh off a radiation conveyer belt, despite the fact that I've thwarted Eggman again and again, and I'm known pretty much everywhere."

"It's been a while since we've done any hero stuff." Tails reminded him as they passed a clothing shop and a mobile phone booth, "and humans tend to… forget."

"You can say that again."

"Sonic, look I…" Chris stopped in the middle of the public pathway and pulled out a sheet of paper from his shoulder bag. He knelt down and offered it for the hedgehog to take. "I… I've been asking around, and thanks to my parents' connections, I can get about anything you want so long as it's entertainment. I dropped by and picked up this leaflet. I thought it might interest you. You have nothing to lose after all, right?"

Sonic took the advertisement and opened it out, a shy, redolent grin stretching across his pale countenance. "Chris, buddy… this is perfect. When do the try-outs start?"

"First thing tomorrow morning. That's why I had to give it to you today. It's something you've always wanted to do, right?"

"Right!"

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><p><strong>Dib07:<strong> Please R & R! It feeds me!


	3. Chapter 3 Tidal

**_Dib07: Yes, chapter 3 is finally here! All the previous short and slow chapters have been geared up towards this chapter. And I have strived to get Sonic perfectly in-character. I'm not so sure about Shadow though. I hope I've managed to do the same for him as well._**

**_Again support and feedback is greatly appreciated, and I'll welcome any criticism as well. Just don't be too harsh about it! ^_^_**

**_Even people who don't like Sonadow may get a kick out of this chapter. Who knows?_**

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

_Chapter 3: Tidal_

Shadow looked up at the sky to see the sun glimmering down towards the belly of the horizon. He had stayed longer unintentionally. Soon it would be evening, and Sonic may have returned home by now, wondering where he was.

Shadow slipped down from the tree branch that had been level with the classroom window. From there he had perched on it all day in reasonable safety behind the multicolored splendor of the leaves that ushered him a meager shelter. And it served its purpose so that he could watch _her_.

She was easy to see. She sat in the middle row at a single desk, books piled on the left corner, eraser and pen lined up side by side next to her pencil case. She and all the children were looking at the front; at the lanky teacher who was scribbling words on the whiteboard.

Math.

As he left the scene, he knew there was always tomorrow where he could return and discern her activities. He had two minds on whether he should approach her or not. Should he talk to her? Find out more about her? But at the same time he didn't want to frighten her. He'd have to go about it carefully.

But everything matched. The hair, the eyes. The height. It was uncanny. He had to tell Sonic the good news.

Moving to this town was good fortune after all.

Upon getting home, Sonic hadn't come back after all. Disheartened but not overly disappointed, Shadow did a few mundane chores such as dusting, mopping up the spills on the kitchen counter and putting the new curtains up in the lounge and for the small window up on the landing overlooking the drive-way.

Six-o'clock came, and dinner was in the oven.

Shadow poured himself a drink and rested against the kitchen counter, involuntarily watching the minute hand slowly crawl across the face of the clock above the dinner table. "Come on, blue fur ball."

Looking for a job did _not_ take this long. Either Sonic had got lost, because of the new area, or was committed to something else. Dinner was always at 6:30 sharp. If Sonic did not attend, then he was breaking ground rules.

Removing his apron, he set up the dinner table, ears perked for the doorbell or any signs of his partner returning. When 6:25 was due, Shadow could endure it no longer. He would find him, and drag him back.

The evening sun had melted away, and darkness reigned in its ebony glory. City lights prevailed and cars screeched past with their glaring headlights cutting a clean path through the inky blackness. The people that passed gave him the usual stares as they tried to fathom what he was.

Their past exploits of course received renowned attention for good or ill, and their citizenship declared full protection from the government. But people still viewed them as freaks. Frightening demons; and aliens. Shadow just stared right back. Usually his uncouth ruby eyes were enough to scare them into submission at every turn.

Walking into town, he tried looking for Sonic in his usual haunts. He scanned the customers through the window at Big Joe's. Went to the sushi bar in the west side of town before flittering into the clothing store close to the empty market stalls on Regent Street.

As he rapidly searched each section of town, he began to get worried. He now started to regret not giving Sonic a phone or a tracking device. The hedgehog naturally didn't like human devices or anything to spoil his freedom, but it was often necessary to reel him in, especially when he had responsibilities now.

There was one place he hadn't tried. The Derelict. A disco, gambling brothel all wrapped into one. If Shadow wanted to get the job done properly, he would have to search through disgusting filth here too. And he was always thorough when he was set on a task.

As expected, inside the Derelict, it was hot, cramped and full of confusing lights and noises. He barged past the dancers who got in his way. Systematically, he looked everywhere he could. The disco lights from above perforated the air in unholy reds, greens and flashing yellows. He was sure that staying here for fifteen minutes would give him an epileptic fit.

He was about to depart. Coming here was a mistake. Had Sonic returned home by now? Where was that little… tiny… bastard? Sonic _couldn't_ do this to him! Couldn't abscond for hours without prior warning. It did not make sense. It hurt. Was he… was he doing this on purpose?

He swung to the left, heading for the exit when he spied a familiar human sitting on a corner couch with a glass of wine. _Christopher._

Beside him was Tails. No Sonic. And their attention was directed at the front. The stage.

Trying to see past the bodies, he heard a silky voice rise above the clamor of the crowd.

"…_I wanna be in another place, I hate when you say you don't understand. I want to be in the energy, not with the enemy. A place for my head..."_

Looking for elevation, Shadow bulldozed through, shoving himself between legs and through skirts. He knew that voice even before he found a table covered in shot bottles, colorful vodka mosaics, and vomit puddles.

"_Go away you… trying to take the best of me…"_

Stumbling onto the table, hoping that the legs would support his weight, Shadow gazed forwards. It was indeed Sonic up front on the stage before a small band. And it was him who was stealing the show. Another was singing beside him, someone Shadow did not know, but that seldom mattered just yet.

The song ended. Sonic raised his hand from the microphone and punched the air. The audience emulated his gesture, whooping for joy at the performance.

Sonic disappeared from the stage. The noise dropped down at the same time Shadow jumped from the table. He approached Tails and Chris who had been standing up on their chairs to see over the heads of the cheering crowd. Resuming their seats, Chris did a toast with Tails by clinking their drinks together when Shadow illuminated them with his angry presence. "What's going on?" He barked at them, yet even so, his soft voice was barely audible over the heave and rustle of people swarming around them. The ugly lights pounded into his eyes. Drunken screams filling the greasy air.

"What do you mean?" Chris asked, "I think Sonic just landed himself a job! He was going to wait for the official tryouts tomorrow morning, but he went up to speak to the manager 'bout letting him give it a shot here and now in front of a live audience! I always knew he was confident, but to do it up there… untested? And they love him!"

"I'd be having a panic attack if that were me in front of so many people!" Tails confessed, unable to hide how happy he felt. "My brother's the best!"

"Yes, he'll taste just fine too in a pie." Shadow grumbled, folding his arms, face like thunder.

Very shortly, Sonic came through the crowd, carrying a roll of paper. Often he stopped to chat to congratulating humans who continued to praise him.

"Ah, microphones are awesome!" The blue hedgehog was saying when he got to his friends, "it really boosts my voice! Well guys, check this out!" And he flipped open the roll of paper. "It's a contract sealing the deal! It has my signature and everything!" He looked up, his grin dropping for a mini-second upon seeing his partner. "Oh… hiya Shad…"

"Don't hullo me." Shadow snapped. Chris and Tails' faces dropped in shock. "Do you know how many hours I have been looking for you? I got worried! And here you are, singing and flirting in a dirty, drunken bar where people shoot each other up with heroine and steroids. Lord knows what they have crawling in their hair."

"What?" Sonic's smile had completely faded like a blown-out candle. "But aren't you happy with…?"

"You should be ashamed of yourself. You'll make yourself a target singing here! You are a little blue hedgehog! Not a human!"

Sonic rolled the contract back up, disheartened. "It's just a job…"

"We'll continue this discussion later, once we don't have a billion goons staring at us. Come on!" Shadow grabbed the scruff of his neck unnecessarily hard, and this ensured Sonic's submission.

Dragging him away, Shadow saw Sonic out of the corner of his eye wave to Chris and Tails, who in turn looked too shocked to do anything. After the initial surprise had broken, Chris shouted after him, "hey… Shadow! That's just mean! Let him go! Tails… do something!"

The kitson shook himself free from what he had just witnessed and hastily ran forwards. However, he was unintentionally blocked by a passing human carrying a tray of liquor shots. He pelted into the human accidently, showering them both in alcoholic liquids of red and blue.

Tails landed on the floor, fur drenched in sticky alcohol. When he next looked up, Shadow had gone into the crowd.

XXXXXXX

"You never listen!" Sonic tried to twist and turn in Shadow's adamant grip, not used to being treated so roughly. Shadow had hauled him out of The Derelict with little desire to use comfort and decency. And everyone looked at them as he was marched out.

"Your fur stinks of cigarette smoke." Shadow snarled as the pounding music became less violent and sickly, "have you been binging on alcohol too?"

"It's up to me what I do! Lemme go! You're hurting me!"

Shadow's ears twisted down at the sudden high-pitched scream from Sonic's last note. "I need to be able to trust you." He stopped outside the bar down a shrunken alley where there were less prying eyes. Only rats squeaked and squirmed down these grimy passageways. "We are going home. And thanks to you, dinner is fucking wrecked!"

"We need money! You should know! You aren't stupid!"

"That's _my_ job! To provide! To find solutions! Not you!" He gave Sonic's scruff one more wrench before throwing him down to the floor. Free to move, Sonic turned round and looked up at him with puzzled eyes as he lay on the asphalt.

"What has gotten into you? I wasn't going to go anywhere! Why would I? We needed money, so I thought I'd give it a shot at The Derelict. No other pub or bar are looking for singers… so…"

"And what's this?" Shadow leant down and pinched Sonic's side. A tuft of fur easily came out with only gentle tugging. "You've been losing fur all year. And it's getting worse. What are you taking? Drugs? Homeopathic medicine?"

"I molt! It's what hedgehogs do!"

"All year? Hmm. You have some explaining to do."

Before Sonic could counter, Shadow reached down, grabbed his arm and both of them were smothered by blue light. "Chaos…" And they popped out of existence.

**x**

The house still had its lights on. Sonic was thrown in through the front door. "I am so angry with you. I was scared!" Shadow persisted. His cheeks were still flushed. Eyes wild and full of uncharted fury. He was like a bull high on solvents… and was very unpredictable.

Sonic looked back just as Shadow slammed the door shut. "Scared? Shades, I went out for five hours, okay! Maybe more… but I got us a job! Nothing was going to happen to me! You know what? You're too paranoid! You need to chill and calm down!"

"I hate it when you don't understand. Sit down. In lounge. Now!"

"You should know me better than this!" Frustrated and slightly worried at how Shadow was acting, he went into the lounge, smelling nothing but burnt food. Dinner was obviously a large, fat _no_ for the night.

He sat on one of the plush sofas facing the hearth. Shadow came in after him holding a bottle of whiskey. He poured it out into two tumblers, of which Sonic objected to. "Gah! How can you drink that stuff? It smells like mongoose piss!"

Ignoring him, Shadow sat down and gulped down his measure in one go before pouring himself a second. And then a third.

"You shouldn't do things without my permission." Shadow continued much more calmly than possible. Sonic blanched. How unpredictable could he get? First he was a raging maniac, and now he looked cool and in control. The transition had taken all of three seconds. "You aren't ready for big things yet. You don't have… the credibility or the intelligence to know what you're getting yourself into."

Sonic folded his arms, pouting. "So I'm dumb huh? Wouldn't be the first time you've thought that."

"You aren't stupid… just… mentally challenged. I am angry, but I'm prepared to let it all slide if you do as I say next time. I was worried. You've been with Chris and Tails a lot, and now we're on our own. It's a cold world out there."

"Shades… I wasn't born yesterday. I know how to handle myself." He rested the contract on the table, admiring the sheen on the paper as it caught the light from the overhead bulbs. "You never listen. You always want a war. Why? There's got to be something more. You seem… very insecure to me."

"Insecure?" That look of rage again, slowly bubbling up like a rousing dragon curling out of its aching hibernation.

"You are overly protective."

"Humph. Well, I do have other things on my mind." His anger quickly dissolved and he became mellow and relaxed again. "While you were disobeying me and getting a _job_, I've been exploring. Been keeping myself busy too."

"Go on." Sonic coaxed, wanting him to elaborate on the subject.

"There's this girl who goes to the local school. Don't know the name of the place yet… foolishly overlooked it. But anyway, she walks past here to get there. She looks just like Maria did. I don't know her name yet, but I think she'll be a good friend. I went outside to see where she'd go, and followed…"

"Shades!" Sonic sat up straight in the sofa, smiling softly, teasingly, "is that what you've been doing? While I've been looking for a job, you've been infatuated by a little girl. Take it from me, buddy, you can't go after every girl that looks like Maria!"

"Don't you speak her name!" Shadow rose up from his chair like a serpent ready to spit out poison, "who are you to tell me what I can and can't do? Huh?" He turned and smashed his tumbler glass against the wall above the hearth. Bits of glass and whiskey splashed against the partition in a river of noise. Sonic flinched.

"Now I'm going to have to buy another glass! Thanks a lot." Sonic said sardonically.

"You have no idea what I had to go through! Don't you dare joke about it!" Shadow snarled from where he stood.

"Ah, I see. This is what you're hung up over. Maria. And after all this time? Why didn't you say anything?"

"I said don't say her name! And stop being so insensitive! You've never had anyone who's died! No one close! You're lucky; you have all your friends. Everything! I have nothing but you! And I'm scared of you walking out on me! Of you leaving without saying! I can't stand it!"

Sonic gazed at him blankly; only know realizing what relationship he had just walked into. And the baggage Shadow still carried around with him. Even after all this time. "You can't keep directing your inappropriate rage at trivial ornaments, Shadow."

"Oh, you think my rage is inappropriate do you?"

"Yes. You're being childish. You're all grown up, so start acting like an adult for once."

"You think you are _so_ perfect! Don't you?"

Sonic didn't see the warnings until it was too late. Maybe it was Shadow's natural, defensive reaction to strike out. Maybe rage made him blind. Make him act senselessly on automatic overdrive.

The first contact came from the left and Sonic was pelted across the face. An elbow came flying from above before he had time to react, and another blow was delivered against his right temple. Upset at receiving such a devastating reaction by Shadow, Sonic ducked low, avoiding another nasty punch, and pushed Shadow to the floorboards with a short kick. "You need to look inside yourself, Shades. Is this really what you want? Stalking little blond girls that look like… _her_? Where is that going to get you in life? Will it help with the pain? Because it won't help you forget. And it won't make things better."

"Cretin!" Shadow stormed upright and slammed a boot into his face. Sonic staggered back so fast that he hit the bookcase with massive recoil. The shelves came loose, spilling all the books onto the hedgehog. Shadow charged over to him, ready to slam him down to the ground when Sonic knocked past him with incredible agility despite his age. He skidded to a halt by the curtained window, breathing hard.

"You have to face facts that she's gone now. And whether you like it or not, you're stuck with me."

"You don't _love_ me!" He was on him like a pile of rocks, smashing into him with blow after blow.

"I do!" Sonic yelled, "why else do you think I stayed!"

"Prove it, you stupid hedgehog!"

"Ho.." He was broken by blood spilling down his mouth and into his throat. He went blind for a few, terrifying moments. Shadow rocked back on his heels, swallowing hard.

"Sonic, look at me. Are you okay?" The anger had been washed away, quickly replaced by terror so quickly that at first Sonic still thought that another unprovoked attack was bound to come. Blood rushed harder down his face. He tried to open his eyes. One opened successfully, and he could see Shadow holding his face in his hands. "I'm sorry," he declared thickly, "I throw a lot harder than I realize. I let my ire get the better of me."

Sonic pushed him away. "I don't need your help right now. Geez, Shadow, you fight like a wolverine." He pressed a hand against his left eye that wasn't working. His hand came over covered in blood.

"Open it for me." Shadow demanded. "It may only be bruised. I think you burst a few blood vessels, but I need to see first!"

Sonic tried, wincing at the pain it caused.

"I'm sorry." Shadow continued.

"Yeah well, I'm sorry too. I'm not very good at sensitive matters. It's just… I've lost family too. My mother and father were murdered when I was very young. I was an only child. So I can understand with you. I just don't like thinking about it."

XXXXXXX

**Next chapter is more about Sonic's perspective and what lengths he will go to hide all and everything. Please R & R!**


	4. Chapter 4 Time Away

**Dib07: I have been getting gorgeous feedback, so you all deserve more! Thank FullRings for this next installment, and this chapter is dedicated to her!**

**Sadly this is quite a shortish chapter, but it will gear up for chapter 5 when we go back to Shadow and his mental insecruities. So today, we welcome more Sonikku! Is that how you say it in Japanese? XD Anyway, enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4: Time Away<strong>

Sonic lay on the sofa, old, donated blankets piled up on top of him to keep the cold at bay. He had chosen not to sleep with Shadow. With the way the hedgehog elder had acted, he preferred to keep away while he figured things out in the meantime. Shadow had been hiding these concrete emotions for too long, and they had wrapped and tangled up inside of him like knotted wire so that they could never be straightened out.

It hurt, that Shadow was like this. Sonic was determined to make their relationship work, despite the uphill struggle he would no doubt have to endure.

_'You don't love me!'_

_'I do! Why else do you think I stayed!'_

_'Prove it, you stupid hedgehog!'_

The anger and violence echoed in his ears long after they had retired to sleep. Even the walls seemed grim after their fight.

"I'll make it work." He smiled reverently, touching the bloody pad cupping his damaged eye that Shadow had taped hastily on.

Unable to sleep, the aspirin already wearing thin from holding back the damp pain, Sonic sat up and wrote some lyrics down on a sheet of A4 sized paper with excitement. There was a lot he wanted to do in The Derelict, and he would prove Shadow wrong. There was nothing wrong with the bar, and not every human was perfect, but everyone deserved a chance to listen to some good music.

At last, the sunshine came through the curtains at around 7:00am. Sonic left the sofa, folded his dusty blankets away and prepared a good breakfast for Shadow. Something elaborate. Something really good and that he'd enjoy to no end to help put their differences aside.

He fried up two eggs, toasted some bread and poured out orange juice, not sure if he wanted to go through with frying up actual meat as well to conjure up some bacon. In the end he did two hash-browns that Chris had taught him how to make, and added some strawberries. Upon making the finishing touch, Shadow came down, looking awful. His fur was ungroomed, and bags hung under his eyes. It looked like he hadn't had much sleep, either.

"Morning." He said straight away in his husky voice. "About last night…"

"Forget it. It's over!" Sonic said with a bright, cheesy grin, "and here's your breakfast as a formal apology!"

Shadow nodded, still looking guilty. He scratched his chin and wearily approached the lovingly made breakfast on a tray with a freshly picked rose on the side where the napkin rested. "Where's yours?" He stated, "didn't you make yourself some?"

"I… I already ate." Sonic said, crossing his arms at his back and comely smiling despite the facetious lie. "Now, enjoy! I'm going out!"

"Where?" Shadow asked without looking up. He slid into the chair and started cutting into his eggs and toast.

"Urm… to the chemist. To buy… vitamin supplements before I go into work for rehearsals."

"Sonic, you were never very good at lying." Shadow gulped down some juice to help the bread go down. "Now tell me again. Where are you going? …And there's something else…" He said, "I made almond cake two days ago right after we moved in. And it all went except for one piece. Did you eat all of it?"

"For starters, I'm not lying!" Sonic said, unable to hide the bitterness that went with the tone. "And I do need to go into work! And yeah… that cake was really tasty. Sorry. It was me."

"Stupid hedgehog." He said, rolling his eyes. "It took me all afternoon to make that mutherfucker. Say, how's your eye?"

"Slightly less painful. Makes me look wonky with a bandage! And I can't wink anymore until it heals up!"

"Well, glad it's better. Off with you then, but be back by two o'clock in the afternoon."

"But that's…"

"_Tut tut_. No arguments." Shadow waved him off dismissively before getting back to his breakfast. "Then we'll play a game."

"Game?"

"Yes. Now go."

XXXXXXXXXX

"So, how did you get this again?" The human adult dipped a cotton bud into a disinfectant solution and smeared it lightly over Sonic's bruised bottom eyelid. The eye and lids included had swollen since last night. The bloody pads had been removed, and Chris acted straight away in fear of infection. It was a messy job. Already the eye was weeping yellow fluids.

"I uh… hit myself with a toilet brush…"

"Riiight. Sonic, old pal, you gotta do a lot better than that." With gentle care, Chris used another swab and used it to wipe the building fluids out of his tear duct. Sonic had jumped onto the train to get to Martha Street where Chris worked as a part time veterinarian. He could have run here, but that may have made his eye a lot worse. "Personally, I'm not as narrow-minded as you may think, big guy. This is definitely what we call a black-eye, where you've suffered direct hemorrhaging from a very violent force. You should consider yourself lucky. If this toilet brush had been anymore violent, it would have popped your eye right out."

"Thank Dowa you're a vet-man doctor."

"Veterinarian." Christopher corrected for him.

"Or who else could I have gone to?"

"Somewhere where they make glass eyes for idiots who don't know how to handle a toilet brush."

Sonic laughed and this jilted Chris' aim and concentration combined.

"Watch it Sonic. Do you want me to poke your other eye out too?"

Sonic calmed down, smiling despite himself. "Thank you, buddy. I like the soothing touch of cool water and ointment on my eye. It feels… sorta nice."

"It's not ointment. It's antiseptic to help stop your infection. Whoever bandaged this up did a shoddy job."

"Hah! It was Shades! I think he was drunk at the time!"

"Figures. Hold still, this is going to hurt."

"W-Why? What are you going to do?"

"Eye drop solution. It'll be like water running down your eye, but you've got to keep it open, otherwise it won't work. Man, wish all my animals could talk and understand my instructions. My job would pretty much run itself."

"You wish! Want my opinion?"

"Not really…" Chris said with a chuckle.

"You wear too much perfume…"

"It's called cologne, Sonic."

"And you wear a white coat. Like a mad psychopathic heart surgeon."

"You're gonna give yourself nightmares. Now hold still and keep that eye open. And no more jokes until this is done."

"Will you buy me a new toilet brush if I'm good?" And he started wagging his little tail.

"How about blinkers?" Chris poured the eye solution above the damaged eye as slowly as he could. Rivulets of the solution came trickling down, and Sonic did his very best to try and hold his eye open. The solution stung like wet fire, and before he knew what he was doing, he had leaned forward, rubbing at it. Chris took his arm and held it down to stop him from irritating it further. "You're still as childish as I remember." His smile was sad. Rueful. "I miss you, Sonic. I thought I could cope, what with a new job and Tails, Amy and Cream keeping me company, but it's not the same."

"I miss you too, buddy. It's hard on me, ya know?" He shrugged casually, "I just try and make things work. One day we should all come over for a sleepover."

"Yeah, got that party coming up to. Your eye won't be better in time."

"Figures." He tried to paw at his eye again. With Chris playfully cursing, he eased an antibiotic pad over it that was cool and soothing. It stopped the fiery pain at once. Sonic sighed against it blissfully. "Man, the stuff you use stinks."

"Sonic, want to tell me what's really the matter?" His voice had adopted more of a serious nature. "You've always been thin, but I can see your bones. And your face deserves an explanation all by itself. Why won't you tell me? I never thought you to be a liar."

"I'm… I'm not…" He hastily imputed, feeling rather ashamed, "it's just white lies, Chris. We all do it."

"Ah, you are admitting that you're lying, big guy?"

Sonic sighed, defeated. He winced when Chris applied a white, soft pad over Sonic's eye that was full of soothing moisture and bound it tight with another one before fixing the pads in place with gauze that stretched around Sonic's head. His main two left quills got included in the wrapping to keep the pad tightly in place.

"Me and Shadow got into a fight." He admitted sorely, "he was upset, and I kinda pushed his buttons. You shoulda seen him. He looked like a monster set for Halloween!"

"I said no jokes." Chris snapped sternly. Worriedly. "He did this to you?"

"Only by accident."

Chris shook his head. Gently he took Sonic into his arms from the surgical counter and placed him on the vinyl flooring. Then he knelt down to meet Sonic's height and softly stroked his ear. "Accidents or not, that was wrong. You're lucky that eye doesn't need surgery. If he does anything like this again, leave him and come back to live with me."

"You know I can't!" Sonic said, exasperated while trying to sound not too indignant. "If I go back with you, I need to travel miles to get to my new job, and we just got this expensive new house. I can't just bail!"

"But if he hits you…"

"I'll just dodge a little quicker." He went to wink, then realized he couldn't. "Besides, we'll work things out."

"But why tolerate him? Why torture yourself?"

"Because he needs me, Chris. He's a lot more insecure than I ever thought he could be. And he has no one else. Don't mistake this for pity. Nope. I'm going to help him. In every way that I can, so that he can reach his full potential and know what true friendship is."

"He doesn't deserve you." Chris said hotly, not amused. "If I see one more bruise or laceration on your body, I'm taking you with me."

Sonic nodded simply out of habit of acknowledgement. "Chris, don't make that promise_." Don't make me avoid you too._

"If Tails finds out, he'll go mad."

"So do me a favor and don't tell him. We'll just use the toilet brush excuse."

Chris rolled his eyes. "I swear you're shrinking. You look smaller than yesterday."

"Well, you're growing too tall. Sooner or later that massive head of yours is gonna hit the ceiling."

They both broke out into easy, good natured laughter. As Chris took him into a hug, Sonic knew how much the human adult was missing him. They had got so close during the past fifteen years, doing practically everything together. It had felt like a long summer vacation with him, Chris and Tails. And now this…

It was clear to understand why he was so upset. This was not the future any of them had planned.

Love was unpredictable like that.

* * *

><p>Chapter 5 is called The Game. What game does Shadow intend to play exactly? And will it even be a pleasant one? Tune in for next time! :)<p> 


	5. Chapter 5 The Game

**Dib07:** Lol, next installment at last! Been excited to get this out!

Don't know what else to say, so here it is!

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><p><strong>Chapter 5: The Game<strong>

'_I swear you're shrinking. You look smaller than yesterday.'_

Sonic stopped before a bus shelter where there was a corner full of tobacco stores and food shops that had been cunningly placed beside cash machines and a post office. An oily, watery puddle had gathered in the corner of the bus shelter where greasy petrol spillages had gathered in a dimple on the pavement. Sonic admired his reflection in it, despite having only one eye now.

Hiding his evident stature had just got a lot harder if Chris was noticing too.

XXXXX

The Derelict was less welcoming upon the second visit without a human friend to accompany and represent him. His new manager, Jet T Tyler, came over to him at once while the customers started filling up at the bar and dance floor. It was a quiet morning, but business was still business.

"Here's your new lyrics. Rehearse them." Jet said, slapping the documents into his waiting hand, "and what in God's name happened to your eye?"

"Toilet brush." He sighed, still on autopilot.

"Was it a mean one?" Jet ran a hand through his emerald hair and lifted the shades a little higher up on his nose. "Maybe employing an animal to bring in customers was a good idea, but you've got to keep me thinking that! Money means a lot to us humans. You bring in revenue, and you get fed. Okay?"

"So long as I get paid what my contract states, I'm happy, bud."

"Oh you will. Just always be on top form. Now memorize those lyrics. We got a show in two weeks time. You've got that long to master two new songs."

XXXXX

Sonic got home early and deposited his bag in the hallway. The house within was cold. He shivered and bent down to turn the dial up on the radiator before resuming his walk towards the kitchen. "Shades? I'm back. Shades?" He looked round into the kitchen. The shelves were all stacked neatly with plates. The counters gleamed with hygiene. The table mats were already in place for the evening and red roses sat pristine and fresh in a blue vase in the middle of the table. Shadow had a fetish for roses, another trait he had adopted from Maria, or so he assumed.

"Shades? You hiding somewhere?" He shivered in dread after what happened last night. He could imagine Shadow hiding round a corner, ready to leap into him, teeth exposed like a tiger's.

Sonic looked round, checking each room, only to find that he was truly alone. Shadow must have gone out without leaving a note to tell Sonic exactly where he _had_ gone.

Alone, Sonic washed his hands under the facet in the bathroom to help rid himself of the antiseptic smells that seemed to have somehow molded to his fur. He looked up into the mirror, still surprised to see the padding protecting pretty much half of his face. The steam from the hot water tap fogged up the glass, and he proceeded to wipe it away with his hand to smudge back the steam when he thought he noticed something black, small and dark in the upper left corner of the ceiling behind him. Thinking it to be a gun of some kind, Sonic spun round, adrenaline soaring sky-high, ready for anything. The black contraption in the corner of the ceiling didn't move. It remained wedged upon white plaster like a stubborn fly. Curious, Sonic approached it from beneath, edged himself up onto the huge porcelain bathtub and reached up just enough to see what it was.

A camera.

A tiny security camera.

Now this wasn't funny.

Astonished, not quite believing what he was seeing, but fuming nonetheless, Sonic slipped, fell and crawled out of the massive bathtub to get back onto safer flooring. He strolled into the master bedroom to see another little camera tainting the ceiling here too. There was also one in the kitchen above the cooker and almost completely out of sight. There was one in the lounge, the hallway, even in the garden right at the bottom that had been strapped to the upper most trunk of a tree. That counted six. Why in Dowa's name would he plant such spying devices? Why?

It irked him so. Was there something Shadow didn't like him doing? So much so that it became a military expedition?

Sonic, angry and rather disappointed in his new partner, marched right to the bathroom. Again he precariously balanced himself on the edge of the tub with a broomstick in one hand. Adamantly he lunged the hard end of the broom at it again and again, trying to lodge it out of its holder or at least break it altogether. He was successful. Anger giving him strength, the camera came loose and plunged into the dry bathtub like a miniature bomb.

Sonic dropped the broomstick, bent down and picked up the oval camera. It was completely black and reflected all surfaces. It looked like polished glass. Only its fish lens stuck out as peculiar. In fact it looked like a giant black eyeball.

Sonic made a disgusted sound and dropped the thing into the bin. It was the most peculiar device he had ever seen. Shadow must have obtained them from the Ark or some foreign DIY store.

It hurt. Did Shadow not… trust him?

He looked out the window of the bathroom so see the last leaf snap and drop away from its mother tree in their garden. Winter was gathering its strength on the horizon. Was his future with Shadow just as bleak? Or was there a spring at the end of it too?

XXX

It was just starting to rain when Shadow got home with bags of shopping. He threw the house keys on the table and proceeded to unload the food out into the sparkly clean kitchen worktop. Even he, (being much bigger than Sonic) still needed a stepping stool to reach said counters.

"Shadow?" Sonic came in to see him, less than impressed, with his arms folded. "There's something I want to discuss with you."

"And you I." He said, turning around slightly to lay tedious eyes on him. "In fact… since you're here." He got off the stool and opened a cupboard drawer. Sonic tapped his boot irritably.

"Well, can't it wait?"

"Not really." Shadow pulled out from the drawer a gun. A heavy 45. revolver of old design with a silver finish and a black handle. The sight of it put Sonic on edge. Quills involuntarily raising upward, Sonic unfolded his arms and took an uneasy step back.

"Shades? Put it down! What… what's gotten into you?"

"It's the game."

"Game, what game?" Sonic asked, mortally confused. He didn't realize he was backpedaling so much until his back hit the table. The vase jerked but the roses didn't spill.

"Game to decide once and for all whether you love me or not."

"Isn't that extreme? How about asking my hand in marriage?" Sonic gulped and looked for a way to escape. He'd either have to smash through the kitchen windows after catapulting himself over the counter or make a break for the door.

"At first I didn't want to do it. You seem loyal enough. But then I thought; no, it's too easy to leave me. Too easy to judge and scorn." Effortlessly calm and in perfect clarity of mind, Shadow opened the barrel of the revolver to wedge a single golden bullet into the chamber before snapping it shut with a morbid sense of finality. Sonic was mesmerized… rooted to the spot. Shadow was sober and wasn't on drugs, and this made it all the more frightening. "It's so easy to walk out. Too easy to turn your back on me. I know I have issues. Have for a long time. But I don't want to get hurt. I don't want to be later betrayed by someone declaring that they 'loved' me back. I despise those who lie."

Shadow cocked the hammer. The rotation of the barrel snapped into place.

"Okay, Shades, put the gun down and let's talk about this! You're still upset, and that's understandable! But there's no need for a gun! We're adults! We can be sensible about this!"

Shadow approached him. Alarm bells ringing, Sonic tried to dive round the table, only to keep knocking into it, one bleary eye locked on Shadow's impending approach. "I want security. And only you can help with that." He slapped the gun into Sonic's hand. It felt heavy, like molten metal. Evil molten metal. The very feel of it felt like such a sin to touch. He wanted to throw it away as far as he was able, but Shadow's tight, captivating stare dissuaded him from doing so.

"Well?" Shadow said, "it's easy. Just aim the gun at your leg and fire. There's only one bullet. Chances are you'll be scot-free. And you would have proven yourself to me."

"E-Easy?"

"Yes. I hear it's called Russian Roulette."

"What if I don't want to play one of your foolish games?" Sonic lowered the gun away from his limited sight, but it did take away the ugly weight of it in his hand.

"Then it's over. You. Me. This house. You can go back to your old, unprogressive life with Chris, and weigh him down. Stop him from getting a girlfriend. Be the clinging friend who eats his food. Uses his water. I don't care either way. But just know that I will hate you. You hear?"

"Gezz, Shades. You sure look at life in an upside down kinda way…"

"Then put the gun down and walk out of here!" Shadow rasped, teeth unfolding. Eyes as red as the sunset, "I don't want a coward as a partner! I don't want someone who doesn't love me. I should have seen the reluctance in your eyes the moment I came up to you. Is it a habit I make? To make friends with those who'll let me down?"

"Man, you need therapy. I know your past hasn't been easy… but I never said I wouldn't play your insane game. I just wanted to know how serious you are. Silly of me asking I suppose." He raised the gun and leveled its black, polished muzzle at his right leg. He trembled once, ready to encounter the pain if it should happen.

Shadow stood back, ridged and still. Face unreadable… like always.

Sonic pressed down on the trigger. And squeezed.

The hammer clicked empty as the barrel turned. No bullet came streaming out to pulverize bone and flesh. No rocketing sound to splinter the day bled into his ears. Sonic blinked using his good eye and stared at the gun.

Shadow smiled. "You passed."

"Yeah, for almost shooting my own leg off!"

Shadow's smile grew wider. "It was never loaded."

"But I just saw…"

"What you saw was me loading a blank bullet into the chamber. It was a toy bullet that wouldn't have gone through the nozzle, even if you hit the right one. I wanted you to believe that you could hurt yourself. I wanted to see if you would go_ through_ with it."

"You're sick, Shadow. In the head."

"But still, you've proven what I needed to know all along. And for that I am thankful."

"These mind games are going to give me an amorism." Sonic slid the unwanted gun onto the table, heart still beating hard and fast. He was sure Shadow would be able to see it bumping against his chest wall. "You really had me going there."

"Hmm. But you love me." Shadow, still grinning, came forwards and clasped Sonic's trembling hands in his. "Let's celebrate tonight. We'll have a hot meal, curl up on the sofa and watch a movie. Then we'll go to bed together. I've been waiting a long time for someone like you. To show me the path to greatness. To trust and to love. I never thought I could find someone to protect and care for, but I have. It's taken me a long time to realize it. So thank you, Quickster."

"You're mad."

"Mad, but honest."

Sonic shook his head at him, departed from Shadow's hold and went over to the numerous shelves above the TV set. Shadow's books had been piled neatly and in chronological order, much like his concrete personality. Direct, orderly and with minimal fuss.

Minding the heavily bound bible atop the middle shelf, Sonic hit the play button on the CD player, hopped off the stool he had used and landed neatly beside his alien partner. "I wanna show you something too. Hold on."

"What?" He asked, soft voice choking in unshed surprise.

Sonic took his hand and began to twirl on the carpet, boots sliding upon the floor in perfect twists and turns that allowed his body to pivot smoothly like a professional ballerina. He took Shadow along this fluid dance, and awkward though he was, Shadow tried to run with it, confused and not overly happy. However it was clear what Sonic was trying to do as the beat in the song heightened and made the vases, statues and the TV remote tremble on the shelves, glass coffee table and mantelpiece.

Sliding to and fro, Sonic was still a lithe, athletic creature. Despite his age. He hadn't done much on his speed, or his agility. He wasn't young anymore. But regardless, he could still move. Shadow tried to follow his steps like it was obligatory. However, even he wasn't as smooth or as swift to mimic his pounding steps.

"Loosen up, Shades!" He said above the threshold of the music, "dance with me! Feel the beats, don't force it! Just go with it!"

Shadow closed his eyes, and he did. He felt Sonic brush against him. The sound pumped and sailed out into a gossamer gait of perfect melody. And then it slowed. The ecstasy gone. The height slacking until the dream was over. The pace almost to a peaceful standstill. Sonic held him close. Head nuzzling into his chest, good eye hidden beneath his fur.

"Let's enjoy what we can… in the one life that we've got." Sonic said against him, voice slightly muffled as he echoed a passage from the song they had just danced to.

Shadow nervously, instinctively wrapped an arm around him. "Yes… I suppose."

"Shades… the party is coming up. Are you ready to face everyone?"

"Remind me… what are you celebrating again?"

"The anniversary of when I first met Christopher. When he rescued me from drowning on the day I entered this world. We celebrate it every year. But this year is special."

"Oh, and why is that?"

"Because I've got you."

"Where will we be having it?" It came out like a demand. Short and throaty. Like a bark.

"At Chris's old house, the Thorndyke mansion."

"Hmm."

Sonic pulled away gently at first, brow furrowed. His one bright green eye wet and bright against the glow of the lamps. "Shades… I understand if you're paranoid about anything. About me… about this house or how things fall into place… but I don't see why you put so much effort into it."

Shadow leaned forwards, not sure he understood. Had he missed something? Did his brain make a brief trip to the Caribbean Islands for a few moments? Sonic continued looking expectantly up at him, like a child pointing out the mistake of a wise, know-it-all parent.

"About what?" He finally asked. "I don't know what you mean exactly."

"The cameras." Sonic dejected simply. Gaze unwavering. "In the bathroom and all over the house. I understand why you did it, but don't ya think it's a bit much? I'm on my best behavior Just take the one out of the restroom please!"

"Sonic… I didn't plant any cameras in this house. I swear! Show them to me, now!"

Sonic really did look confused then and there. It cascaded over him slowly, and Shadow could almost see the cogs of his brain to work. Soak in the information like a dry towel, and be utterly impacted. "You... didn't?"

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><p><strong>Dib07:<strong> Over too soon! XD The next chapter is one of my favorites! Thanks again for all the support! It's been a blast! And I'm a shy author, so please be kind when criticizing my work! ^_^ Thank you all!


	6. Chapter 6 The Party

Dib07: This story is going to get a lot more intense. I'm putting my warnings down now for the future. The next chapter is very dark and may upset some people. This one too is no saint if you know what to look for. So I apologize in advance. It gets very angst-like. Okay, I'm done!

Early update, I know, but got a lot of inspiration as of late, so here it is! And yes, this chapter is one of my favourites!

**Meowtastix: LOL! I do keep making Shadow the enemy somehow, don't I? XD Poor guy...**

**Oh yes, you'll find out now about those cameras (sort of)! BTW soooo glad you enjoyed the last chapter! I hope this one is even better!**

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**Chapter 6: The Party**

And so the hours passed. Shadow regimentally, religiously hunted through every room, every nook and cranny to seek out and destroy these tiny cameras. Sonic followed close behind like an insecure ghost, discerning him with his one eye. Each camera was studied for possible clues of where it had come from. But not a single detail aroused any clue as to their source. It was clear they were manmade. And the material was light. Complex, but finely equipped. G.U.N material. Shadow didn't say as such, but Sonic already knew.

Which meant two things, and two things only. G.U.N knew where they lived. And they were suddenly interested in them. But why now? After 15 years? Sonic didn't like what this entailed, and so Shadow disposed of the cameras in the waste basket. "I'll change the locks." The elder said. "Buy more security systems. It's possible that we may have just attracted a retired G.U.N official from one of their firms who wants a new hobby. Or a fan from the bar where you sang that night… who then followed you here."

There had been no more disturbances. No sign of forced entry. No footprints on the soft carpet. Nothing broken. Nothing astray. Though Sonic liked his home with Shadow, he felt a little invaded. Someone had intruded upon their way of life discreetly, and it sent off alarm bells.

That night, as promised, Shadow put on a DVD and they sat on the sofa to watch it. Sonic had tried to get into the films with an open mind, and thanks to his experiences with Chris's taste in movies, he had come to enjoy them. Shadow enjoyed his action movies. The burst of gunfire. The rattling explosions onscreen. The violence.

Sonic leaned into his furred coat, feeling an arm snake around his limp spines and coming to rest across his chest. With the other hand, Shadow slurped at a can of beer, the sticky remote on the arm of his chair.

Tried and spent of energy, Sonic hadn't realized he had closed his eye, and he nodded off, dreaming so deep, it was almost a coma.

In his dreams, the air was dry and acrid. The sun leaned down behind him, making his back become moist with sweat. The asphalt he trod upon was cracked, with dry, pale weeds sprouting through the black lips of the old tarmac. As he looked up, he saw a sign between sprouting roads. He had reached a junction. A crossroad.

The road split into three routes. There was the one of he was looking at; straight ahead that zoomed into the dry horizon that presumably had no end. Then there was the road to the right. The clouds looked dark and malicious on that side. And the wind tugged and played with the weeds.

On the left it was bright, sunny and green. The lanes on the side of the road were bright with red flowers.

Should he continue down the path he was going? Straight on? Like he always had done? Went with the flow of his own persona? Disregarded all others and did what felt right? Or should he go down a different path. Should he plummet towards possible woe with Shadow? Or into a brightly lit world of lies where he pretended to be happy?

Right or left? Or straight on?

When he was young, he may well have confidently strode down a path with his eyes to the horizon. Probably straight on, with no regret. But he had grown older. And wiser. He wanted to live with Shadow. He wanted…

But to be contained? To be restricted and rebuked? Was there no other way?

**XXXXXXX**

The afternoon of the next day for the party was hot, with barely any wind to break the uncomfortable heat. Music blared feverishly in the background while a buffet table almost dominating the length of Christopher's backyard. It was made up of four tables all joined from end to end and covered with cloth before being set with irresistible food.

An inflatable paddling pool about fifteen feet in diameter had been set up, and was quickly tagged by Tails.

Cream, now twenty years old herself, and looking very much like her mother, was taking to Amy, who had undoubtedly turned up regardless. No longer a child, she was tall, slim and remarkably pretty. Her locks had been allowed to grow, giving her an alluring appearance.

All living under the same roof with Cream and Tails, Amy had got a job at the local supermarket, helping people pack their bags, promote new foods or try a hand in the kitchen making new recipes. And she loved it.

Dressed in a thin red coat to hide how gaunt his body had become (not to mention a close fitting blue zipped-up vest), Sonic came and greeted them all in turn with a moody Shadow remaining shyly at his back. When he came to take Amy's hand, she whisked her nose into the air and walked away, taking Cream with her.

Tails, fur soaking, went up to join his brother. "Hi you two!" He said, "and well… sorry about Amy. I don't think she's gotten over you yet, Sonic. And holy emeralds… your eye!"

"Poor girl." Sonic watched her leave, disregarding Tails' concern. "Where's Cheese? I haven't seen that little chao with her at all these days."

"Oh, didn't anyone tell you? Cheese died a fortnight ago."

Sonic blanched, obviously shocked and moderately upset. "Little Cheese? Died?"

"He got old, Sonic. They don't have a great life expectancy."

"I'm so sorry."

"Yeah…" Tails looked sad too, as if he himself still didn't find it right that one of them had died so soon. "Cream is taking it very well. I think Amy's helping her a lot. We all are. So…" He said in a higher tone, changing the subject, "how are you two? Everything going okay?"

"Yes, thank you." Shadow uttered blandly. He obviously didn't have much else to say. He felt like the fifth wheel and wasn't incredibly excited at this whole 'anniversary thing.'

Sonic took a moment to tersely look at the mansion behind him. It was still as he remembered it from his adult years. Stalwart brick and glossy double-glazed windows. Gorgeous draping flowers bulging from the windowsills despite the chilly winter round the corner. This was by far their warmest day yet.

There were so many days to remember. Those warm summer nights sleeping on the roof. The cold rainy days when he stayed indoors as if the rain was surely poison. The endless attempts fighting Robotnik. The thrills. The fun. The adventure. Riding in the X-Tornado or simply taking a run through august mountains and beyond emerald jungles. A few days at the vets. The Christmas they had every year.

"Hey, big guy!"

Late to his own party, Chris was in the middle of taking off his veterinary coat and dumping the bags in the kitchen when he strolled out into the sunlight, draping the coat over his arm. For such a handsome young man, it seemed mad and absurd that he lived alone except for the animals of course. Tanaka had left to start his own family. Ella too had retired, and Uncle Chuck had died three years ago of old age.

Sonic ran up and jumped into his best friends arms. "You're late!"

Chris hugged him tenderly. "Look who I want you to meet!" He set him back down on the grass. Helen pushed herself along in her wheelchair. She too had grown into a marvelous woman who was both proud and confident. It had been months since he had last seen her. Ecstatic, Sonic leapt into her lap, tail wagging. "You haven't aged a day!" She told him, when it was obvious he had. At least the coat hid his bald patches too.

"We really need to get together more often!" He added.

Chris laid suspicious eyes on the black hedgehog pouring cherry cola into his paper cup at the buffet table with Tails. "Sonic," he said, "let's grab a plate to eat. Then you can tell me all about your day, and I'll tell you about mine."

They all sat at the table, munching on chicken legs, potato chips and celery sticks. Sonic loaded his plate with every single safe bit of food he could eat. Even Christopher looked at him in amazement to see his plate stacked so high.

"The unpacking has been all done!" Sonic was saying in-between mouthfuls. "Singing rehearsals are going okay too."

"But what about your eye?" Tails protested across the table from him.

"Oh, this? Toilet brush. Household accidents are very common."

Shadow groaned but kept to himself.

"How's Eggman holding up?" Came Sonic's next question, avoiding Amy's accusing stares that were full of unprecedented hurt. Cream was definitely on the quiet side. He didn't like her being so upset. Even Chris struggled to get over Chuck's death. That had been Sonic's darkest month. Trying to cheer his human friend up. It took everything he had.

"Oh, okay. Still mad." Tails replied, downing the last of his juice and looking for more. "He is never getting out and is still locked safely in Prison Island, I assume. Besides, I want to talk about my inventions! You should see the train designs I made for X-Escpo! It's now the fastest train in the whole state! People are getting to where they want to be much faster!"

They talked and laughed for a long time. The flies started harassing the food on such a hot, lazy day. The juice and cherry cola began to get warm. The chicken portions were eaten to the bone. The sun began to descend towards a happy, pleasing horizon of amber and bronze. Shadow had remained politely silent, absorbing the conversations in moderate interest. Helen was bemused by him more than anyone else, and started inquiring a few things herself.

Leaving the table, still wearing his coat, Sonic excused himself and headed for the house itself. Leaving the hot, atrophied afternoon sun, he entered the cool confines of a home he knew inside and out.

Gingerly he ascended the stairs one at a time, not having the energy to climb it at speed. He never had the energy to do most things. Cutting back on food sure as hell was sacrificial. But to keep a perfect body, he had no choice. And he admired what he was always achieving. And it was worth it.

Meanwhile, Shadow was helping with the clearing up, stacking up the paper plates and throwing them in the bin before collecting the cups while Tails dived back into the pool again. Amy passed him with an air of cold hate. "You don't deserve him." Was all he could catch as she passed. He looked round, expecting her to confront him further, but before long she was back outside with Cream, her long, elongated shadow strutting across the patio.

Chris leaned against the doorframe, looking moderately impatient and unhappy. Shadow had sensed his tangled emotions ever since the young man had arrived. "You hit him." Christopher said in a dark, gravelly tone. "What kind of person would do that to someone they're supposed to love?"

"He… he told you?" He put the last of the plates down on the kitchen counter, breath stinking of toffee biscuits and warm cola, "well… whatever. It's none of your business."

"It's every bit of my business. Look, Shadow, I don't care how powerful you are or if you've got the strength to turn the sun green. My business is with Sonic. If you hurt him again, I won't just be calling the cops. I'll be taking him away from you. In case you hadn't noticed, he's aged. He's weaker now. You however have remained as you ever were since day one. Be careful with him in future, you ungrateful beast." With silken eyes of dark hate not unlike Amy's, he gave Shadow one more flash of hell before turning and walking back outside.

Shadow remained where he was at the sink. Uncertain. And dimpled with guilt.

"Fuck." He headed into the hallway where it was quiet and isolated. They didn't understand. Partnership was ownership. He owned Sonic now, whether they were ceremonially bonded or not. Sonic had argued too on that night when he had hit him. He mentioned Maria. He broke that _one_ rule. Age and loyalty had nothing to do with it. Sonic had hurt him emotionally, and for that Shadow did not regret hitting him. Eyes healed. Emotional scars never did.

Maybe it was time to take the blue hedgehog home. He was tired of playing roulette with arrogant whelps.

He knew Sonic had come up the stairs. He had wanted to use the bathroom, and still wasn't back with the others. Unless of course he wanted to go down memory lane in Chris's old room.

Shadow reached the landing, hand leaving the dusty banister rail. A red coat lay deposited on the white carpet. Chris had done very well keeping this place clean now that Ella and Tanaka had left. It was dusty yes, and aside from Sonic's jacket, the place was tidy and neat. Manageable. The windows were spotless. The beds all made and clean.

Quietly, he marched up the narrow landing, heading for the restroom. The bathroom door was slightly ajar. Sonic must have rushed in there without formally closing it.

"Sonic?"

He heard a choke and a grunt coming from inside the room. Concerned, he pushed the door open with a tender push of his fingers. Sonic tried to grope for the toilet handle to flush whatever he had just brought up. But he was on his knees, arms upon the toilet rim as if he had been vomiting all this time.

"What the hell?" Shadow swooped in and touched Sonic's sweaty shoulder. "You okay?"

"Fine." He returned, looking very guilty. Shadow couldn't understand why he looked so mortally ashamed. But when he looked into the toilet, he could clearly see without looking twice that Sonic had thrown up all and everything that he had eaten. "You surprised me. You shouldn't have come in, Shades."

"You've been sick…"

"I know. I felt queasy. Ate too much I guess."

"But…" Shadow staggered back, "you've been throwing up quite often. And your fur is coming off. This isn't the first time I've caught you throwing up in the toilet. You're sick. Well, that's it. I'm taking you to a doctor." He went to lift him to his feet. Sonic threw him off.

"I'm not sick." He defended tightly.

"Yes you are! You might have cancer or something! I'm taking you to a hospital! And that is final! No more arguments!"

"Hospital? But I'm fine!" Sonic tried to heave himself to his feet; a task he found was much harder than originally thought. Despite his staggering progress, Shadow gripped his bony arm and thrust him out the bathroom with adamant force. Sonic went to peel back, not wanting to be taken anywhere, least of all a hospital.

"Get off me, Shades! Holy Dowa! You're hurting my arm!"

He was pulled across the landing like a burdensome weight. Shadow remained in a forward motion, like a train on tracks that only took it one way. Fingers grinded into his elbow.

Unable to take it, he twisted his arm around, narrowly popping his shoulder joint out of its socket. He could feel fresh, fiery pain sweep across his collarbone. This made Shadow lose his grip for only a meager second, enough for him to try and angle his hand around him. This bought Sonic enough time. Slipping free, he powered down the stairs, forgetting entirely about his coat. He just wanted out.

He almost fell down the stairs, feet racing to catch up with him as he negotiated the steps at speed.

Striving for freedom, he burst through the kitchen and landed outside on the sunny patio, coughing and panting. It took him great effort to gain some breath back, and they all came running to see what was wrong. Shadow stepped out, looking frostbitten.

Sonic collapsed, too weak from his own exertions. Chris ran out and scooped him into his arms. At once he turned to Shadow, and blamed it all on him without realizing the full situation.

Face livid with anger and hurt, Chris lowered his voice at the elder hedgehog. "Leave him alone!" With both arms he held Sonic fiercely, "don't you come near, you sicko!"

"But… you don't understand…"

"I want you to leave this place. I want you to go now before I call the cops!"

Shadow eyed him dangerously. Red orbs flickering to Tails, Amy, Cream and then back to him again. He was ready to make a move. And then Helen wheeled closer, sensing the tension. Shadow grimaced, showing a full line of angry teeth. "I did nothing." He said sorely. "And I'm sorry, but don't blame me. He needs help."

"No, it's you who needs help!"

"Sonic," Shadow persisted, "tell them. Tell them what happened. Please!"

"Shades…" Sonic turned to him with rue, "you overreact."

"I do _not_!" But he checked himself. Chris, and everyone was watching him with hostile eyes. Ready to chalk him up to be an ever bigger villain. No. It was no use talking to them here. He would leave. For now.

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><p><strong>Dib07:<strong> So what do you think? Please R & R! I really, really love the support and makes my writing come out even better from the inspiration of you readers! Again the next chapter is really dark, and I think you all know what might be coming up.

Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7 First Confrontation

**Dib07: Okay, been getting major help with this and you'll see that great work next chapter! We're getting very close to the end here. Hope you enjoy this installment!**

**Meowtastix - You are GOOD. Maybe too good! LOLZ! Let me know what ya think, but dude loving your comments!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 7: First Confrontation<strong>

Chris could hear the TV in the background. Tails and Sonic had it up loud. From the sounds of it they were playing a video game. A racing car one.

While the older man sat at his desk, pouring over notes and medical lists, lamp dim but manageable, he stroked his chin thoughtfully, feeling the rough sensation of his seven-o'clock shadow. An empty beer can lay crumpled by his left hand while he wrote with his right. Sometimes he lifted his head up, tempted to close the door to block off the pervading noise of thirsty car engines and the heated squeal of applied brakes. But then he calmed down when the noises were matched by Sonic and Tails laughing together. Sonic wasn't much good at video games, as they found out, and always ended up crashing his car into the pit stop of the side of the road. Or stalling at the beginning of every race.

But just to hear him laugh again… in his home… was so uplifting.

Tonight however, he really needed to concentrate. He had to get his facts right. If he didn't, the last thing he wanted to do was make a mistake.

Still, Shadow's anger and surprise echoed against his closed eyelids like a bright, overpowering bulb exploding in one's face. Leaving an acute afterimage. If Chris's assumptions were correct, then Shadow's actions hadn't been violent or abusive at all. Quite the opposite.

Still, there were two tests that had to be done in order to define his next cause of action. Two tests that would undoubtedly solve the mystery once and for all. But first he had to go about it sensitively. And depending on how his hedgehog friend would react… then further steps would have to be taken.

The first test now was already in action. Two plates of sandwiches had been left on the table in the middle of the lounge. Tails had two ham and lettuce sandwiches, while Sonic had two egg and cress. And he had made sure none of them had eaten since the party food had been put away.

Chris ran the pen across his lips thoughtfully; hand scurrying over to the crumpled beer can to find it disappointingly empty. It was too late for another drink now. Too late.

What if he pushed Sonic further away? What would his reaction be? And how long had this being going on for?

Chris jotted down a few meaningless scribbles. It had been wrong to get Helen caught up in this, so he hadn't told her anything.

Better to shoulder it alone.

He slapped his notebook shut and opened his desk drawer filled with dead batteries, empty bubble gum wrappers and loose A4 sheets of paper. Slipping the notebook inside, he locked the drawer with a small silver key.

Kicking back from the desk, he gave an almighty yawn and left his chair.

He entered the lounge. The room was dark aside from the blaze of the television screen lighting up Sonic and Tails' profiles as they tacked one another in their virtual race. He noted with cold dread that Sonic still adorned that close fitting blue vest that almost looked like his own fur. Since when had he started wearing clothes?

"Who's winning?" Chris yawned. While he asked, he peered down at the plates of sandwiches. Tails had eaten all of his. Sonic had nibbled on the edge of one, and then left it.

Test one complete.

"Me! Who else?" Tails smirked snidely, angling his Xbox remote unnecessarily as he moved his car across the finish line. "Yes! New record!"

Sonic put down the remote as the finishing score tallied up. His one eye deducted the time from the clock on the mantelpiece. It was quarter to midnight, way past his bedtime.

"You didn't eat your sandwiches." Chris started right away, being direct. It was after all a simple, honest question perfectly within reason and with no intention to offend.

"Wasn't hungry." Sonic explained casually, "the party food filled me up."

Test one was failing. And nicely played on Sonic's part. It was almost midnight. Who would want to eat filling sandwiches past their bedtime?

Test number two was still in effect, however. Chris approached him, remaining calm and casual. "Sonic, can you… come with me for just a moment?"

"Yeah?" He looked up at him mildly from the comfort of the sofa, one eye gazing at him tiredly.

"Can you step on some weighing scales? It's just that… I've been developing some new ideas on how best to weigh animals and so I've made these new scales. Will you be willing to test them out for me? Just to see how accurate they are? They're too small for me to try." Man, he was good at twisting the subject. They were just an ordinary set of scales. Nothing unique about them at all. But if Sonic saw this as genuine…

"No, thanks." Sonic turned it down at once, not even hesitating to think about it.

Chris's well rounded plan frayed just a bit further when good old Tails spoke up, being ever so helpful, "I'll try them out, Chris! It'll be my pleasure!"

_Oh. Now how was he going to get out of this one?_

He had not thought this far ahead.

Annoyingly however, Sonic had dodged everything so far without even trying.

It made Chris wonder. Sonic had always been good at avoiding any certain things he didn't like to discuss. He was difficult to pin down sometimes over any serious topic, and if he had been doing this for some time, then he had subconsciously got better and better at it, hoodwinking them all. Chris may have just stumbled into something even bigger.

Thinking up an excuse short and fast, Chris shook his head at the kitson, "actually, I just remembered that there's still one thing I need to add, otherwise it won't weigh anything properly."

"I can help!"

"Later, Tails. It's time for bed."

Chris followed them upstairs. Amy hadn't been as cold to Sonic like she previously was at the party. Shadow's backlash seemed to appease her jealously, and offered her towel and soap to Sonic so that he could burrow them. He kindly took the offer, and so was in the bathroom with Tails.

"Where are you going to sleep tonight, Sonic?" Tails was asking, finishing up with his toothbrush and wiping his hands on a towel, "on the roof?"

"It'll be too chilly, I should think. Probably in one of the spare guest rooms. Then tomorrow I'll go back home."

"Home? Home to _him_? Even after what he did?"

Sonic shrugged. "Yeah. He didn't mean it."

As the night got older, Chris began turning off the lights and slinging away the last of the rubbish left over by the party. He locked the main doors before going up to bed himself. All other doors on the landing were shut. Except for Sonic's. He hated restriction of any form, including something as simple as having a bedroom door closed. One of the lights was still on within, and feeling slightly intrusive, Chris opened the door a little wider after rapping his knuckles softly on the wood. "Everything okay?" He asked.

Sonic was sitting up in bed, gazing across at the window drawn shut by the thin curtains. He had a double bed all to himself, which made him look tiny. "Yeah, Chris." He replied, looking idly at him. "Thanks for allowing me to stay the night, buddy! What could I ever do without you? This sure does bring back so many awesome memories being here!"

"You weren't gone_ that_ long before you were whisked away by Shadow!" Chris commented, remaining in the doorway. "Can I come in?"

"Well, sure. What's up?"

He took note of Sonic rolling up the bed sheets further up his body as Chris entered the room carrying a large, square contraption under his arm. "I want to discuss something with you." The man said, putting the plastic and steel contraption on the floor where Sonic could see it. It was the weighing scales. "I want you to respect my concern and help me out here."

"What does a weighing scale have anything to do with me?" Sonic asked, perplexed. Now he had fully wrapped himself up in blankets to hide his body away.

"It depends. I don't want to force you, big guy. But I really need you to stand on them. It'll only have to be for two seconds. What are you so afraid of?"

"Afraid? Since when did you last use yer brain?"

"Since now. Sonic, I didn't become a veterinarian for nothing. Either you tell me right here what you're hiding, or you get on these scales."

"Chris? Buddy? Have I done something wrong? I'm sorry if I…"

Chris shook his head. "Tell me what's wrong. Or you get on those scales."

"Chris. You wanna tell me what this is about?"

The human sat down on the bed. Eyes level with his. "You've been doing this for years, haven't you? Slowly at first, I reckon. Cutting back so that no one would notice. Then you go one step further. You obsess. You just don't cut back – you go even further. You eat nothing at all. How is it that you're still alive? Can even walk? And how come I never noticed before? No one has."

"What has gotten into you?" Sonic blinked his one eye, unmoving.

"Hold still." The human moved forwards, pushing the blankets down. He was greeted with the same vest. He wore it in bed?

"Look, Chris, I'm getting freaked out. First Shadow, and now you."

"Sit still." He said gruffly, not meaning to sound so hurtful and angry. But he was. So very angry. But that anger was directed at himself. For failing to notice. And at all of them… because none of them had.

Chris pinched the zipper toggle with his thumb and index finger and pulled it down. Warm, peach colored fur was eased out as the zipper made its way down a soft, warm tummy.

"Don't I get a say in this?" Was Sonic's next rudimentary question. Whether it was intentionally childish or framed in accusation Chris did not know. It was lost on him. Zip undone, he pushed the vest outward with his hands on either side. What he saw was completely insane and horrific. Sonic was deathly thin. Worse than yesterday. He hadn't been eating at all for over 24 hours. And with his fast metabolism, this was bad.

Scenes… images of past cases flashed into his mind, mainly of what he had seen at work or on the internet. Animals being brought in due to neglect, and their records taken shortly before their death. _Anorexia nervosa_.

His ribs could all be accounted for; they stuck out so prominently because the flesh had sunken in completely where all and any fat and muscle had gone. As if they had been sucked dry.

His sternum was like a dry bridge in the middle. And as Chris looked down, he saw an impossibly thin waist and a jutting pelvis. Sonic must have lost a good twenty five pounds. His usual weight was 30kg, which amounted to 66 lbs.

"Oh my gods…" It came out like a choked cry. Why… why was he doing this to himself? Wasn't he happy mentally? Had something changed while he wasn't looking? This was not Sonic. This could not be…

"Chris?" Sonic prompted him, ears swerving worriedly.

"Do you wear this vest all the time?"

"Well, yeah. It keeps me warm, what with this changing weather. Dude, why are you so worried? You look as white as a sheet, pal."

"Sonic, get on the scales. I'm not asking again."

Something about the fury in his eyes, the sheer act of rage made Sonic move at long last, though even this was reluctant. Chris could even see his bones working because of how his skin and fur had become tissue-paper thin.

"Why are you treating me like this?" He reiterated. Even so, he slid off the bed. A living skeleton moving and talking. Chris could not stop staring.

Sonic lost his step. Probably as tired as heck. He shot an arm out to balance himself and Chris took hold of him. He could feel Sonic trembling upon his touch. But the contact was a brief rebuke. Sonic slipped free and stepped up onto the scales. Like the stubborn bastard that he was, he fleetly got off it again the moment the needle rested upon his current weight. Then he had climbed back up onto the bed with agility impossible for someone so scrawny.

It had been enough. The ghost of the needle lashed in Chris's retinas. He only weighed a poor 42 lbs, which equated to just 19.1kg of weight.

Sonic needed help. So how was he supposed to give it? What was he to do?

Meanwhile the skeletal hedgehog had tucked himself back into the massive bed, re-zipping the vest and laying against his pillow. "Scales okay for your trail at work?" His voice was unsettled. Dismayed. Like rippling water.

"Work?" His brain struggled to comprehend what he meant. Then it clicked. "Oh yes. These new scales will work perfectly. Thank you."

"Hey, anything for a friend. Goodnight, Chris." It was very abrupt. And Sonic's thin patience had obviously sizzled out. Chris had outstayed his welcome.

Was Sonic in denial about his own state? Or was he still playing the lying game?

Which was it?

Chris wanted to stay. He was worried Sonic would do a runner. But it was clear that his little friend was exhausted, and offering to remain here wouldn't sit well.

"Er, yes. Good night, big guy." Chris left his bedroom door slightly ajar, heart heavy in his chest. "Shit." He whispered under his breath so that no one could hear. And no one did.

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><p><strong>Dib07:<strong> That's it until next time!


	8. Chapter 8 Second Attempt Made

Dib07: Ah yes, next chapter. We are now two chapters from the end (not including this one) so please stay with Crossroads until the end.

Full credit given to **DC111** for this chapter, and the help is greatly appreciated. As an author, I should always know which direction the story is taking, but a certain character got me very stuck!

So thank you, **DC111**, this chapter could not have been done without you.

**Meowtastix: **LOVE your reviews! Ah yes, the summary means a lot to the story. But what triggers this anorexia? You'll find out, whether you like the results or not! XD But don't worry, fur loss is related to the same thing. Unless an animal cannot conform to a healthy diet, fur loss is inevitable. Lolz...! Pregnant! Now_ that_ would be dangerous! XD

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**Chapter 8: Second Attempt Made**

It was past midnight, but what the hell? He was running out of time.

Draped upon the table in the kitchen was Sonic's red jacket when it was left hours earlier. Feeling slightly intrusive, Chris rummaged through the pockets, sure his fingers would bump into a phone or some handheld gadget capable of contacting the hedgehog's keeper. But low and behold, no phone. Just like Sonic. However, his luck wasn't completely dry yet. A scrap of paper resided in the top chest pocket. And on that was an emergency contact number. In Shadow's long elegant scrawl. Despite the black hedgehog's callous manner with his blue friend, he really did care deep inside. And that explained why Sonic had inevitably stayed with him. Because they loved each other, despite their differences.

Keying the number into his sleek, red phone, Chris pressed the device against his ear and heard the ring tones dial out excessively. Hopelessly curious and worried that Sonic had indeed done a runner, he crept back up the stairs, tiptoed across the landing and opened his bedroom door a little wider, just enough to peer inside.

Chris was blessed. Sonic's small profile could just been seen in the darkness as he slept. He wasn't going anywhere.

"Who the fuck's calling?" Came a heavy, guttural voice that sounded like some beast had arisen from the cesspool of nefarious disease and pollution. It startled the man so much he almost dropped the phone.

Controlling himself, he closed the bedroom door a little and started descending the stairs two steps at a time.

"Hello? Is this Shadow?" He almost squeaked, sounding like a girl.

"Yes. Who's talking? And how did you get my number?" He sounded piss drunk. And tired. Maybe he had just been nodding off to sleep himself, or had been drowning his throat in booze.

"Look, this is Chris. And I got your number from your partner's jacket. Anyway, this isn't about that…"

"Fuck you, Chris. You kicked me out. Stuff you…"

"Don't hang up! Whatever you do!" He begged, despite Shadow's threats and terse voice. "Look, I'm sorry about the party. Really I am. But you gotta come over in the morning. We need to talk."

A cough down the other end. The sound of glass thumping on carpet. No doubt Shadow was shifting his weight about the sofa, knocking beer glasses or wine gizmos onto the floor as he tried to comprehend reality. And Chris's voice all at the same time.

Chris did _not_ need this right now.

"Sure do. Taking him away from me. Poisoning him with your food."

"Shadow, listen to me. Sonic is suffering from anorexia. Can you comprehend that? Or is your brain seizing up?"

"Anor-what?"

Chris rolled his eyes. "He's poorly underweight. What's been going on between you two?"

"Nothing… much…" Shadow sounded a little clearer. Speech was still slurred but understandable. "I'm sure he eats. But too many bills to pay. Not enough for food. But I've seen him eat."

"He must throw it all back up again. I've been putting two and two together, while you sit there, drinking!"

"Not drinking!" He groaned on the other side of the line. "I'm… I'm coming over."

"What? Now? No, you can't! You'll wake everyone up! And Sonic really needs the rest right now."

"But he is thin. So what? It's normal!"

"Look, sober up. Then you are coming round here or Sonic isn't coming back to you. Do you understand?"

"I am not being lectured…"

Chris hung up.

For the rest of the enveloping night, the human could not sleep. He tossed and turned, thinking of the things he had said and the things he had done. He lay in a dreamy, half conscious doze, expecting Shadow to come pounding on the door, or sneaking round the back to break in through the rear windows. The night however remained quiet and still, even when his mind was in aching turmoil. Often, like a staggering, pensive ghost, he'd lurch from his bed in his flannel pyjamas and shuffle across the black, cold landing to the guest room. As always, Sonic would lie in the dark, sleeping.

The morning would bring its answers.

XXX

Sipping at his hot coffee, Chris rang up work for some time off, deciding to take that vacation time he had been saving up for the last few months. With that out of the way, he started making breakfast for his family. Normally he left it to them, but he had the extra time now anyway. It just really hurt that the day of the anniversary was also the same day he had exposed Sonic's dark secret. And now every single year on that day would never be the same because it would always remind him of this.

Ironically, the first one to sprint down the stairs was none other than Sonic. Always in a good, upbeat mood, he paid Chris a wave before slipping into his sneakers. Tightly adorning his wiry frame was the padded blue vest as usual. "Thanks for the stay, bud. You've really helped me out."

"You're leaving?"

"Well, yeah. Gonna go out for a jog. Then apologize to Shades. He's still sore, and I kinda yelled. It doesn't help that he's all muddled thanks to his tough past. And I feel bad. I wanna make it up. Urm, seen my coat, buddy?"

"Sonic… can't you stay? Please?"

The thin hedgehog glanced squarely at him and replied in a teasing, sing-song voice; "you're really starting to sound like Sh-ades…"

"It's wrong of me to keep you, but there are still things I want to discuss. We'll wait until Tails is up, and Shadow's on his way here by the way." _With a hangover no doubt._

"Okay. Saves me taking the train back to see him. Can I jog around the grounds then? I need to practice my new lyrics, and running helps me concentrate."

Chris kneaded his forehead bitterly. Either this was a big, fucking mind game or Sonic was being the honest one. And so far this little blue animal was winning every single round, regardless. "Okay, okay! Just be back in fifteen minutes." Sonic pouted, giving him an unsatisfactory look that said, _'you're pushing it pal.'_

"Okay, okay, Chris!" Subtlety mocking him in a humorous way that did not mean to offend, he added, "you're the boss! But whatever this is about had better be way important. See you in three, mister!"

Unable to remain any longer, he left via the front door, forgetting about his coat. The hedgehog's speedy, impatient manner infuriated Chris as it may have infuriated Shadow. Sonic not only ran from his problems, but also his friends.

The house was a bit livelier after 8:00am. Amy and Cream got up for work, promptly thanking Chris for their extravagant breakfast of eggs, beans, mushrooms and tomato. They soon left, and Chris washed the plates and cleared up the table.

Tails usually came down to eat what he wanted, and was in the garage making miniature wonders or big plans for future developments. With no Eggman to hunt and defeat, he put all his energies and craftsmanship into making devices that helped other people. This time, Chris encouraged him to stay in the kitchen after his breakfast and poured him a fresh cup of coffee. He was about to bring Tails in on Sonic's physical change when there came a bitter rhythm of astute knocks on the door. Shadow.

Leaving the comfort of the table, Chris strolled across the hallway and opened the door. As much as he was glad to see him, Shadow also sparked a level of fear into the young man. Not because of his power, but of how unpredictable he could be. Sonic was incredibly brave just to be in the same room alone with him.

"Thorndyke." He acknowledged briefly, looking from the human and into the hallway beyond. There was no sign of who he had come for. "Feel like I'm coming to pick a child up from school." He spoke uncomfortably. "So, where is he?"

"You're not here to pick him up. Didn't you listen to me last night?"

"To a degree." He replied less favorably, his red eyes glimmering. "Last night was a blur."

"Wonderful." The human sighed, the sarcasm not lost on the elder hedgehog, "do come in."

XXX

Sonic returned an hour later, way more than Chris's proposed fifteen minutes. He slipped in through the old cat flap in the pantry on the left wing of the mansion before making his way into the lounge to warm himself up. Chris wasn't impressed. He had been a second away from sending out an emergency search and rescue team to find him.

Scrapping the old autumn leaves from his vest and quills, he sauntered into the kitchen, pausing immediately when he saw Shadow sitting at the table with Tails. Both of them were looking at him expectantly.

Chris stepped up behind the hedgehog. It was unfair to ask where he had been and why he had taken so long. Shadow overstepped these boundaries because he cared even when he was overly bossy. None of them however, wanted Sonic to feel in anyway caged. Perhaps that was why he had left the mansion in the first place.

"Hiya, Sonic!" Tails began cheerily from his place at the table, "look who we have! He has something to say!"

Shadow regarded his other half with amnesty. "I'm sorry." He said dryly. Even though it didn't sound like much, it must have come at great effort. He rarely bowed down for anything.

"I'm sorry too." Disregarding their stares, and perhaps because his own legs felt weak, he eased his wobbly self into a seat at the table. "Man, relationships are hard work!" He did look visibly relieved. And happy, even if Shadow's sudden, calm demeanor sent off little alarm bells. What was he up to and why did he come all the way out here to apologize? The train tickets were a fortune each way, and Shadow was not allowed to use his powers in public. So warping here would have been illegal. The only time he had used them was to get Sonic away from the Derelict, and that was that.

Chris signaled Shadow to leave the room by rapping his fingers in quick succession on the table. Having already discussed tactics, Shadow knew the game. He excused himself immediately, and left, heading towards the lounge.

"Here, big guy." Fetching a cup from the counter behind him, Chris placed a hot black cup of tea on Sonic's placemat.

"Thanks!" He remarked happily, closing his cold hands around the mug's hot porcelain surface. "So, um, am I missing something here you guys? Is Shades… okay?"

Christopher shook his head. "Don't worry about that old spruce. Anyway, what do you want for breakfast? I'll make anything up for you, including your favorite!"

The blue hero sipped thirstily from his tea, consciously aware of how quiet and sullen the room seemed, including his acquired company. He knew something was up, and he didn't like it. "I ate while I was out. Some guy was selling good food at a hot dog stand. Say Chris, aren't you supposed to be at work by now?"

Chris closed the cupboard door from where he had been reaching for a hotdog bun. Were these elaborate mind games? Sonic was not usually this defensive. And the human was once again on the hesitant side. It was clear that Sonic had come back, thinking that the human would be away for work. He always knew that Chris left at 8:30am sharp. And so the hedgehog had returned a little after 9, hoping to find his problems gone for the duration of his stay. So, at seeing that this hadn't happened, either Sonic had rehearsed good lines for his lying excuses, or was in fact telling the truth.

Christopher sat down directly beside him, not giving Sonic any satisfactory answers. He went in for the kill.

"It's you we want to discuss. Is there something you want to talk about?"

"Urm, no thank you. Me and Shadow will work out our differences… eventually I guess. He does love me; he's just a tough nut to crack. But I will get there, even if it kills me." He added this forcibly, as if they couldn't possibly believe that Shadow was actually a living being with a heart.

"This isn't about him." Tails reached for Sonic's hand that rested by his mug of black tea. "You've been losing too much weight."

"Ha, dude, it isn't that much!" He grinned, but there were the first shadows of shy shame and mortification behind that smile and behind his one overly bright emerald eye.

Chris noticed that his response at being directly questioned over his anorexia wasn't a hasty, pasted lie. They had caught him off guard. He could have just said: _'haven't lost a damn pound! Your eyes need changing!'_

Tails held his hand more tightly, not afraid to push forward on the subject. "You can trust us, Sonic. We're here for you. All of us. Is there something you aren't happy with?"

"Is this simply about my weight and not Shadow?" He asked, using his partner's full name. Another wan smile graved his lips. "I'm sorry to worry you all, but I'm fine! You guys are so overreacting! Which is cool, I understand. Man, the pair of you look like you've seen horrific murder up close!"

Christopher gazed at him heavily, eyes a reflection of the sadness and frustration stirring within. "You've lost twenty four pounds. Why? And why are you dodging our questions? We're your family, big guy. And what about all this, 'anything for a friend,' last night, huh?"

"That hurts, Chris." Sonic paused, looking feeble and lost for just one tiny moment. Then his usual, casual demeanor broke through and his voice was once again sharp and strong, "okay, so I've lost a few pounds. I'm just trying to keep in shape. That's all, honest. I needed to lose the excess weight, and besides, I've been very busy. That may have affected my diet. Much has been happening this past week. The new job, paying the bills, Shadow's general anxiety, the cam…"

Tails cut him off, "when did you start doing this to yourself?"

"Myself?" Sonic cocked his head at him, "I haven't! Tails, I'm not crazy! Why are you looking at me like that? Is it the padding covering half of my face? Granted, it does get a tad itchy."

As he began to remove the eye pad, Chris summarized the situation. Everything that had been coming out of Sonic's lips seemed to be a shamble of quickly thought excuses. What if however, there was a grain of truth in there?

"When did this start?" Chris repeated Tails' question.

"I don't know. Don't worry 'bout it."

So they said nothing for a while. Chris's mind was busy working away, solutions and reason falling to dust. For a moment he felt like bursting into tears. And Tails looked that way too.

Sonic removed the padding, admiring the flimsy material in his hands. His damaged eye, half lidded due to the swelling, remained very blackish with bruising. It did however look better since it had been treated.

"The whole world looks weird with two eyes again!" He commented, trying too hard to get a smile out of Tails. "Can I see Shades now? We should be getting back; I don't wanna make him madder than he already is."

"Permission granted." Chris turned slightly in his chair, face to the open lounge. "Shadow, can you come in here, please?"

The black and crimson hedgehog stepped solidly into the room, eyes a fiery red. His natural, resting expression always made him look displeased with something, whether it be the last meal he ate or how he looked at life in general. Chris didn't like an expression like that; it was unreadable and off putting. However, Sonic instantly abandoned his tea and strolled casually up to the hedgehog as if Shadow himself was the king of the State.

"I'll try harder to make this work if you do!" Sonic said, taking Shadow's limp hand. "You up fer round two, pal?"

"You're not worth my time." Shadow said. Eyes dark and bitter. Like a snake's before its teeth would lunge into its hapless prey. He shoved his hand back away from Sonic's playful touch. "I don't want a liar in my life."

"_What_?"

"You're _not_ eating. You are mad. You have a perfectly good family. You have me. Yes, me! So why aren't you eating? You like puking in toilets do you?"

It was so sudden. So misgiving. Sonic started to step away as if he was facing a leaping ball of fire than Shadow.

"I am eating! Of course I am! This is about us, not me!" His reply didn't come off as angry, but his smile had dropped completely, and his good eye narrowed a tad.

"Oh you are eating are you? My mistake!" He kept approaching. Steps slow and sure, but direct and purposeful. Sonic backpedaled until he hit the kitchen wall, "I guess you must have worms then!"

There was nowhere to run. And Sonic didn't have the energy _to_ run. "Stop making this about me, dude! Lay off! Or I'll…"

"You'll what? Bite me?"

"Yeah, okay, this isn't going well. I did everything you asked, and now you're pushing it, Shad-ow!" His last word was coughed in surprise when the black hedgehog cuffed him round the face, bringing him easily to the floor. Enraged perhaps, or still just plain shocked, Sonic bucked and kicked. "Chris! Tails! A little help here?"

No help came. And Shadow was like an iron ball. Pounding down into him like no tomorrow. No energy came to assist him. He couldn't throw him off. Shadow wasn't even trying. He had Sonic pinned by gripping his neck with his arm, while his bodyweight pushed him down to the floor. It was a less harmful way of restraining someone, using little to no effort. But no matter how hard Sonic tried, he could not shake his partner off even when he pushed into his own reserves, straining what little muscle there was.

"See?" Shadow's voice pervaded somewhere above him, "I should not have been able to beat you so easily! You're weak from hunger! You like doing this to yourself? Is this your outlet? Like alcohol is mine? Help me to understand, Sonic!"

The pressure was gone and Sonic scrabbled to get back to his feet and attain balance. Embarrassed and hot from his pathetic efforts to fight Shadow off, he wobbled forwards, rubbing at his neck. Shadow took his free hand. A reversal of roles.

"Nobody saw that, right?" He squeaked, still moderately shocked at being attacked.

"Sonic." Shadow said, "it's okay. You can tell me." His red eyes flickered down to the vest, and then back up again into Sonic's.

"Shades… you are the problem."

"Come again?"

Sonic noted Chris and Tails staring anxiously from the table. They hadn't dared move or make a sound to break the moment. "You." He repeated with the impatience that came with holding the trump card and having been pinned so easily in front of his friends. "You get angry so easily. Anything I do seems to offend you. And I'm not as perfect as you think I am, but at least I'm not insecure and hugely paranoid. You have got to give me freedom. And only when you conquer your anxieties can we be happy and honest with each other. Shades… all this time I've stayed with you. Passed your test. Put up with your silly rules, because I loved you. But I can't keep this up forever. Please don't take what you have for granted, either."

Shadow looked about himself for a moment, as if in mental conflict. Before Sonic had arrived back home after his current 'jog,' Chris had nailed Shadow to the wall with accusations and above it all, it was pure honesty. The human, despite being obviously afraid of him, had gone on to yell out the truth because he was defending Sonic bitterly.

"You're selfish!" The human had first shouted, not caring if Tails was there listening, "all this time Sonic's been sacrificing everything for you! He's got a job to make your new home a longer lasting reality! He left us. His old way of life to be with you! He puts up with your abuse! And even when he blatantly, stupidly loves you, you've thought of every excuse to hit out at him! Okay, your past hasn't been easy, but neither has his! You have got to start letting him into your life before it's too late and you lose him! Stop being so selfish because he needs you right now!" Chris had calmed down then, pent-up anger flooding out of him. And once it had left his system, it was replaced by an overwhelming sense of empty sadness. "You've been so focused on yourself that you arrogantly refused to see his weight loss. And now I fear it's too late."

And then it hit Shadow. What if Sonic's compulsive anorexia was due to stress? Granted, the fleeting idea was sketchy at best. This was Sonic. True to form. Never worried. Loved the world as much as he loved himself. But what if…

Everybody's reaction to stress was different. And maybe this was Sonic's stress outlet. Not to do with himself… but because he was so worried about Shadow. Had love done this to him?

Not everybody was aware of their own depression. Their own mental anxieties. Shadow may have triggered something in Sonic that the blue hero may not have been wholly aware of. All triggered perhaps, by a look of anger… the physical rebukes? The hate Shadow delivered when he found out about his job? The alcohol. The unsaid tension between them. The gun…

At first Shadow honestly had him as a pet to help with his own problems. And never hugged him. Sonic got that look in his eyes sometimes, to get up and embrace him. But never did, as if afraid _how_ he'd be rebuked, not when.

"Shades?" Sonic's bright green eyes gazed openly at him, noticing that his partner was daydreaming. Shadow was back in the kitchen again, with Chris half out of his chair in a notion to perhaps carry Sonic away just in case Shadow decided to explode. That was however, the last thing on his mind.

* * *

><p>Dib07: To be continued soon.<p> 


	9. Chapter 9 Together For Now

Dib07: Okay, please read before reading! Lol, I know, sounds weird!

Anyway, this chapter contains explicit lemon. I will warn you before it happens in this chapter, so you can read the light parts without worry. The next chapter is the last one, and includes massive plot, so don't worry, I won't let the lemon spoil the story! And yeah, the last chapter means EVERYTHING - and the cameras. So don't forget to come back!

**Meowtastix: **OMG awesome review! LOL Tails! And what you said about the puppy metaphor, so true. So true! Shadow needs some serious counselling! XD

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 9: Together for Now**

"Shades, are… are you o-okay?" Sonic mistook his reminiscing look as something hostile. Shadow still held his hand, and Sonic felt him squeeze it tightly.

"I am… now." He turned slightly to give Chris and Tails a sidelong glance. _'Thank you.' _Only then did he proceed to take one step closer to Sonic. Brave as always, despite possibly being punched, bitten or mauled, Sonic stood straight and firm. Only his eyes betrayed him.

Seeking forgiveness, closure, Shadow wrapped one arm around the back of his warm vest where the back had been cut to make holes for his thinning quills. He pressed him tightly forwards, and Sonic, naturally trusting, fell against him softly. The hug felt incredibly awkward at first. It felt not wrong… just strange and alien.

All it took was time, and Shadow finally slammed down his barriers and held Sonic tightly, melting into his contact all at once. He was all bones in his touch, if not for the vest. And now he realized that if he had hugged him more, he would have realized Sonic's problem far sooner.

"My attitude has stunk as of late, but you must realize from my perspective that I struggle to let others into my life." Shadow whispered warmly into Sonic's ear, "I'm so convinced I'm going to get hurt. I couldn't trust you, hence my many rules. I became too protective, hence my controlling manner. Is there a chance that you and me can patch things up again?"

"I knew you'd speak with your heart, Shades." Sonic parted from him slightly, only so that he could gaze up into his eyes, "I knew you could change. I knew you could do it. I believed in you, when no one else did. And it makes me proud. You've overcome yourself."

"Why did it take me so long?" Shadow gripped him with another hug. Sonic rose his arms up and returned the embrace.

Chris relaxed on his chair. Tails was rubbing at his eyes, trying to discreetly hide the tears. "Tails, remind me one day soon that I never want a girlfriend." The man said under his breath.

"Yes, Sir!" He sniffed.

XXX

The afternoon turned into a rosy, sultry evening where the rain splashed down on concrete for a time before it lifted, the jubilant clouds marking their return before the darkness groped all in sight.

Back in their own home, Sonic lit the last candle. He loved their different aromas and the way the light danced and flickered upon the walls. It made him think of home. Their own planet. But that was just a memory now, and he was far happier here. With Shadow.

Once the house was decorated in candles of reds, blues and yellows, making the place appear almost Christmassy, (and Christmas was on the approach in another month or so), Sonic turned on the shower and drenched himself in hot, steamy water. He used a special shampoo that was good for fur, and applied it in abundance. This made the bubbles explode and duplicate all over the place, creating masses of frothy white. Despite the comforting heat, he had felt out of sorts lately. He had felt agitated and restless, almost as if he wanted to go somewhere, but not having the energy to initiate such a desire. Maybe it was because of the cold, or simply because he had been so anxious with Shadow. If so, this feeling was inevitably normal.

The showerhead was turned off; the scalding heat over.

He stepped out, dripping, and grabbed a towel. By opening the shower partition, he unleashed a fog of steam to flood the small bathroom.

As he stumbled out, one towel over his head, the other profusely being rubbed against his ribs, he fell into a solid body of fur. Sonic looked up through the moist fog to see what he had bumped into, and glanced upward into Shadow's warm countenance. His eyes were gleaming differently. Something had left them. The shadows and darkness had packed their things and had gone, leaving Shadow finally free of his past. Maria of all had been the hardest to let go. She had been his life. The sorrow that had birthed his insomnia. The regret that always stained. But now he had a partner to love, cherish and look after. And it had taken him too long to finally see that.

**XXX~~~~Author Note: Lemon starts below and for the duration of the chapter. Please avoid if you do not like raunchy SonadowXXX~~~~~~~~**

"Shadow?"

"You need to be lick-dried. Towels never do the job properly." He implied with a warm, open smile. Never had Shadow truly smiled. Most of the time it was either forced or was completely sardonic. This smile was as natural as the sun.

"What?"

"Here, you missed a bit." He bent down a little and licked off the small bump of bubbles still clinging onto Sonic's nose. "Plus your lips are a bit blue. We can't have that now, can we?"

"Urm, yeah? You look drunk."

"Drunk? I'm drunk on molestation. Wanna give it a go?"

"You're still too tough to say the word, 'love,' aren't you?"

"Just shut up, you're destroying the moment!" Shadow knelt down suddenly and shot his arm out behind Sonic, the under at his rear and picked him up. The towels crumpled to the floor. Sonic's weight massively disturbed him. However, desperate not to bring that up again, he tried to ignore it.

"Now this is first-class service!" Sonic remarked, playfully kicking his thin legs in the air as Shadow carefully walked out the bathroom and across the landing. "Do I get breakfast in bed too?"

"If you're talking about tomorrow, then maybe! Depends how good you are!" His smile remained friendly and kind. No swampy anger ever once crept to the surface to foil his mood. And this time, his breath didn't smell of alcohol either. Sonic almost found this too hard to take in. Hands full of blue hedgehog, Shadow kicked the bedroom door open and literally dumped Sonic on the plush bed sheets. Still partly wet, Sonic left a clean, bubbly stain on the top sheet, his fur still dark with damp water.

Like a hungry monster ravenous for meat, Shadow lunged onto the bed with him. Aroused and intoxicated, he hastily removed his heavy gold bangles on his wrists and kicked his boots off. The last thing he hurriedly did was remove his gloves. He wanted the full sensation. He didn't need cloth to get in the way of that.

"Ya know," Sonic said as he felt Shadow's strong, hot hands take hold of his pelvis, "if I had to wait any longer for you, I may well have bedded Amy!"

"You've never had it?" Shadow asked. The question hung in the air, and he was only half listening anyway. He was boiling with heat. He had contained himself for so long, for almost nothing. He had had no desires whatsoever. Until they had both come out to each other for what felt like the third time. Illusions of being alone forever erased, he could finally relax and take Sonic as his.

"Have you ever done this before?" Sonic battered the question aside for one of his own, "you might do it wrong! And you might give me a disease."

"You've already given me one. Chronic ear ache syndrome." He lurched forwards, rough tongue stroking Sonic's throat. The fur in that niche was soft and ductile.

The sensation teased the blue hero into good-natured laughter. "Tickles!"

As Shadow trailed his tongue across his throat, his hand reached down to hunt for Sonic's tail. His probing got too much, and Sonic bucked, unintentionally kneeing Shadow's stomach. The black hedgehog whisked himself up quickly, jarred with pain.

"Sorry, Shades. I screwed up, huh?" He relaxed again across the bed sheets, looking visibly disappointed with what he had just done. And saddened.

"No, no you didn't. You're too tense. I have to get you to relax."

"How can you do that?" His ears pricked forwards, eyes looking for Shadow's rebuking manner. His brazen, hot temper. He could not see it.

"I may be inexperienced too, but that doesn't stop me from getting what I want. Trust me." With soft, but firm touches, he turned Sonic over so that he lay on his stomach. Pinning him down this way was easier, but he could also get stung by Sonic's quills stiffening upon reflex by pleasure or tension. Hedgehog mating wasn't the wisest in the business.

"Maybe we should have read up on this first…" Sonic giggled into the sheets.

"Stop your wisecracks." He grabbed Sonic's tail and massaged it, bringing Sonic instant relief from the tension.

To keep his quills soft and spongy, Shadow moved forwards and grabbed the scruff of his neck. Only then did he proceed to ease a finger into Sonic's backside.

"Aren't you gonna pleasure me first, give me a reach-around or something?" His voice came out a little more guttural than normal.

"You pleasure yourself enough times. Give me something first you greedy hog. Then I'll show you how it's done properly." He wriggled his finger in deeper, causing Sonic to flinch forwards, however the hold on his scruff kept him from going anywhere, and his spines remained soft and limp. "God, you're so tight. Good thing I bought lotion at the chemist. I knew you'd be a tight fit, but this is ridiculous."

"I didn't know the insults came free with the sex!" He winced, his back arching involuntarily. "Does pleasure even come with this-s?"

"Plenty. You'll be exploding by the time I've finished with you. Hang on." He eased his finger out of Sonic's shivery hot warmth and grabbed the lube bottle on the nightstand. "Chris is right, you have shrunk. And so has your genitals."

"Go to hell!" He went to kick him with a soaked foot. Shadow grabbed it easily and then let it drop on the damp mattress. He opened the bottle cap and squeezed a liberal amount onto the palm of his hand.

"I'm going to make you feel alive, Sonic. This is going to be better than fighting Doctor Eggman."

"It'd better! The crap you've put me through."

The lube coating his fingers, he eased two inside Sonic. "Don't tense," he hissed when he felt the blue hedgehog constricting against the invasion. "You'll only make it hurt more."

"Oh, but I love pain! _Gah_!" He choked when Shadow almost purposely shoved his fingers up higher. Once he had hit a certain point, he expanded the two fingers slightly inside of him, making as much room as possible. "You're doing this on purpose!" He choked.

"You want me to enter you raw? Well, why didn't you say?"

"No, wait just a sec…!" He went to turn, not fully ready when the fingers withdraw, emitting a brief flash of pain. Shadow bore over him quickly, not giving him the time to even think about backing out when he penetrated him fully. The pain exploded within Sonic, and he bucked, ears down, the sweat running down his fur. Then a sweet, smooth welcoming transition took place. The pain, only slightly lessened, was replaced by something better. Pleasure he had never felt. It was like an implosion of senses. Something he had never experienced.

Shadow felt Sonic's heart race faster. For him.

The elder rocked inside of him, starting off slowly for only a brief period as he allowed Sonic to relax and take in this new delight all at once. However, he could tell that Shadow was trying really hard to hold back. All that power, all that sexual energy. He was close to losing control and just going wild on him. But he wasn't. Not yet. Leaving Sonic time to adjust to this feeling.

"Okay, blue hog. This is going to be painful, but it'll be worth it. Bear with me." He let go of his scruff, and he started to see his quills rise and sharpen. The bed could take the punishment. Picking up a leg, he raised it enough to give him the leverage to turn Sonic round on his back. The blue blur gasped out. "Sorry. Had to do that. I want to see your eyes while we do it. Forgive me."

"You just wanna see me in agony! Admit it, you alien!"

"You really are full of yourself. Age will never change that. Now hush."

Nuzzling his nose against Sonic's, he thrust forwards, burying his member deeper into new unexplored depths. Consumed, filled, shivery with pain and pure ecstasy, Sonic had tried clamping down on his infatuated cries. Yelling out, even for help had always been against him. But now, in the heat, the pure pleasure gave way and he hollered. Shadow's ears swiveled forwards, eyes gentle and deep. His screams took them both higher, and Shadow let slip his control for a fraction. Pleasure blossomed into new pain for the blue hedgehog. Sensing that he had unintentionally overstepped Sonic's limit, Shadow started to pull out. As much as he loved Sonic, he didn't want to mortally hurt him. Lust made him blind, but not to a sick, degrading degree.

"Don't stop… please d-don't stop…" Came a wet, garbled grunt. "Move w-with me. Please. Don't let go. Take me over."

"I think I've turned you into an addict." Shadow scolded him lightly in his deep husky voice.

"Come on! Don't h-have all n-night!"

With a deep smile, Shadow settled himself more comfortably into his bony pelvis and ran fingers along jagged, lumpy ribs. They were a perfect sympathy together in this fornication of pure bliss.

_Move with me._

Plunging himself deeply, he rocked into him so hard it made Sonic reel upwards, both arms embracing him desperately. A squeal this time of startled pleasure. The cutest sound he had ever heard him make. Shadow closed his eyes as Sonic had done, enjoying the warm heat. The finalizing contact. The cement in their relationship.

Shadow's lips found his and Sonic returned the kiss ravenously as if he had been waiting for this for a very long time.

Sonic couldn't hold it in any longer. It was too much, and he reached his climax. It poured out of him, leaving him feeling spent and exhausted. He was filled with a sense of peace. And everything seemed surreal.

They kissed again, tongues finding one another in a dark sea of warmth. When they parted, Shadow was moderately out of breath. Sonic was panting. "Much better than self-pleasure any day!" Said the hero in a crumpled grin. "Can I pleasure you n-now?"

"Not tonight. This is all for you. My gift. It's the least I can do."

Shadow pulled out for real this time, and the sudden departure of his masculinity left Sonic feeling cold and empty.

"Shadow, no… I'm gonna, gonna…."

"Explode? Again? Man up, hedgehog. When I'm done with you, you'll look like one of those towels in the bathroom." Without warning, he took Sonic into his hot mouth, devouring his small member. His sharp canine teeth brushed Sonic's sensitive flesh, making the hedgehog cry out again.

"Holy emeralds…!" Panting, hot and febrile, his shivering was heightened further. Shadow's rough tongue groped his penis, teeth nipping the end. And he exploded, unable to take so much pleasure at once.

Happy, content, Shadow pulled up, face covered in semen. Both their bodies were sticky with it. "I think you're gonna need another shower." He said softly.

"Maybe we should do it in the shower next time! Two things at once! Oh and sorry about the mess! You got a bit here!" He pointed to his muzzle, indicating Shadow's own. The message was useless however. Shadow was covered.

"Sonic… I love you." Shadow scooped him up, feeling those ribs again. Chris had already given him a special meal of vitamins and sloppy food to sate a tiny stomach, and couldn't have anymore in case he vomited it up unintentionally. It would take months, possibly years until he reached his normal weight again.

"And I too. I didn't know it was _that_ massive!" He blushed, cheeks tenderly flushing to a brazen pink. He was still copiously sweating. But he was smiling, still dopey with bright pleasure.

"Something went wrong when you were created."

"Hey, that's mean!"

The night deepened, and Sonic fully cuddled up to his partner, not worried about being pushed away. Shadow too remained open and happy. He nuzzled into Sonic deeply, scenting his fur and running a finger up and down his spiny back. Heaven. This was heaven. It was good to be so close. Felt so right at last. It no longer felt odd and strange. Sonic was tenderly breathing against him, mouth partly open as he snoozed, and his left foot as usual tapped spasmodically under the sheets as if he were running in his dreams.

Shadow slept. He was no longer plagued with insomnia.

**TBC**


	10. Chapter 10 Take Nothing for Granted

**Dib07: Final Chapter. Crossroads is officially complete.**

**When I first started this I wasn't sure what people would think. It was very different and 'out there,' with the characters with their own very real problems. Also, I always believed this story to be just okay compared to my other ones and knew that actually, people wouldn't have much of an interest in this. How wrong I was. I have found that I have touched many readers/reviewers over the past couple of weeks who can empathize with the characters and feel and understand what they felt. I am touched that my story means something after all. Thank you.**

**Meowtastix: I shall miss your reviews, dude. Your feedback and happy heartfelt comments have really kept me going. I bow down to you. Thank you so much. Your words are a gift to me. ^_^**

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 10: Never Take Anything for Granted (I'm Undone)<em>

The G.U.N official opened the backdoor using a tool to cleverly fool the lock with a bolt key. Once made right, the bolt key could open most locks without having the need to 'break in' and leave a mess for the evidence and investigation team. The man gingerly made his way inside in the light of the morning, having seen the two occupants leave in the snowy cold. He had to be quick, because he didn't know how long they would be gone for.

With a bag of new cameras that were even smaller than the first set, the man began implanting them. He was about to place the first one in a plant pot when he felt a rush of immense but repressed power behind him. He spun, alarmed when he saw Shadow lock eyes with his, arms folded crudely across his chest. He had warped back into his own house – so the move wasn't totally illegal.

"Knew it." The elder rasped in his calm, soft voice.

"But… but you! I saw you leave!" Cried the man, his voice throwing his confusion into the air.

Sonic came up behind the official, tossing an apple up and down in his hand. "We pretended to leave." He said, "just to see what rats we would attract! And look who took the bait!"

Shadow stepped forward, causing the G.U.N member to drop his bag of cameras from fear. Many smashed from the sudden drop onto wooden panel flooring. "Who do you work for?" He growled. "And why are you putting cameras up everywhere?" He saw the man deviate with hesitation. "Or I'll sever your head from your shoulders."

Sonic lost his focus and dropped the apple. It went rolling along the floorboards and hit the newspaper stand. Its ruby reflections gave out Shadow's anger and the perplexed man gazing upon his dropped bag of cameras.

"Okay, I give! My life is more important than my job!" The man irritably confessed, "I've been setting up cameras because Eggman threatened to slit his wrists and kill himself unless he could watch you and Sonic! I swear!"

"And that's it?" Shadow pressed.

"Yes! Yes, I swear! He's bored! He's been in the same cell for over seven years! Come on, man! Just let me go!"

Shadow smiled. "All right. Step outside. I wanna show you something." His teeth glinted darkly. He left Sonic supporting himself against the wall. Apple still on the floor.

The morning air was chilly and ripe with frost. Shadow led the man out of the house the back way, and led him down the yard and out onto the street on the other side. Finally far enough from the house, Shadow produced a bag full of coins. "Here, as payment. Sorry for the hassle, but it had to look convincing."

The man took the cash with a supple nod. "Why'd you wanna do it again? Those were real cameras by the way. You made me break ten of them." He inspected the bag briefly.

"I decided that I didn't want to spy on him anymore. I wanted to at first. Was so angry I made the cameras obvious, just to piss him off. But now… there's no need. I'm happy. It's funny isn't it, how we don't know what we want until we get bitch slapped in the face?"

"Whatever, dude. I'm off. Good luck with… whatever you're doing." Plopping the bag of money into his camera bag, he started heading off. Shadow gave the man on last dirty look before heading back into the house. But it wasn't much warmer in there either.

"Sonic, I took care of him. It's over."

"Oooh goodie. I hope ya didn't hurt him."

"Does it matter?" He closed the backdoor and locked it. When he returned to the hallway, Sonic was walking awkwardly to the stairs. "You want to go out today? Cinema maybe?" It was really gelid and icy today. The news broadcasted snow in the next couple of days, and even the nights had grown remarkably colder.

"I feel like s-staying in."

"Why? That's not like you. At all. You like movies and the cheap, awful popcorn they supply."

Sonic dropped to the floor, thin legs briefly kicking out in the air like a turtle's from the shock of suddenly being on his back. Shadow dashed forwards, sudden concern leaping into his heart. "Jesus, you okay?"

"Yeah, sorry… must have sprained something when we went out for the walk. I knew I should have worn my vest."

"Here, let me help you up." Guiding Sonic upwards was easy, but the blue hedgehog couldn't seem to purchase his feet against the wood. His legs kept slipping out from under him as if his boots had turned to soap.

"Hang on… nearly… Shades… got my vest? I'm cold. The floor…"

"Sorry, Sonic, I couldn't make out any of what you just said."

"Vest? Be somewhere?"

"Okay, okay. I think I'll take you up to bed. You're starting to worry me a little." Tenderly, he lifted Sonic into his arms and walked upstairs with him. "You sure you're feeling okay, hog?"

"Yeah, fine. Just tired. You wore me out last night!"

"I suuure did!" They nuzzled noses and Shadow once again brought him into the bedroom. He approached Sonic's side of the bed and set him down. "I'll make you something hot to drink, and some good food. That'll have you feeling better in no time."

"Vest?"

"In just a minute. I'm not sure where you left it." Shrugging, he turned and left the room. He hadn't left it at Chris's place. Maybe in his car. Sonic did do a funny jolt yesterday afternoon when they were climbing into the red vehicle to go home. When queried about his reaction, he just said; 'sorry, had a bad feeling, but it's gone now.'

The vest was on the sofa. Shadow picked it up and started on a cup of tea. He let the kettle come to a boil and then poured it out into a mug, stirring occasionally. He almost added milk to it, and then stopped himself just in time. He rummaged through the fridge to rustle up something to eat, but there wasn't much. He'd have to go online to shop later. No way was he walking into a grocery store to be stared at from beginning to end just to buy food.

With the vest slung over one shoulder and the mug of tea and a plate of food all on a tray, he carefully made his way upstairs, careful not to spill anything.

He reached the top and entered the room. "Sonic, we can stay in and watch something…" He trailed off in mid sentence, mind still fixated on regarding a film. Sonic had lain down on the blankets, blank eyes staring across to the wall opposite him. Unmoving. He was silent.

Shadow's once, calm, happy world snapped and shattered into a million panicky pieces. Cold dread sparked fresh sweat to appear under his comely fur.

He dumped the tray on the floor, spilling the tea, vest falling from his shoulder. He leapt over to the side of the bed, gulping. "Sonic, are… are you okay? Hey! Hey look at me!" He went to touch his body. He turned Sonic's peach muzzle towards his, but Sonic's eyes were frozen pinpricks set in one single spot and did not respond at all to Shadow's commands. "Sonic! Oh Gods, what's wrong? Answer me!" His shouts were loud and alarmed like gunfire. And still Sonic did not respond. Purple blemishes had appeared under his eyes and along the top of his muzzle. The bed sheets were a mess, as if the blue hedgehog had been ripping at them. As Shadow looked on, seconds from being completely paralyzed, he realized that Sonic must have been convulsing on the bed.

"Shit!" Brain kicking into gear, Shadow lurched out and grabbed the phone by the bed, hastily punching in Chris's number that he had learnt a few years past during his depressive bouts of boredom. He heard the dialing tones ache out. Long and agonizing. He looked back at Sonic's still body. Chest rising every ten seconds. Too long… taking too long…

The phone clicked on the other side and Shadow tore himself away from staring at the hero's inert body for just a moment. "Christopher!" He yelled down the line, panic flooding in and consuming him utterly, "I need help! It's Sonic! I don't know! He's collapsed! I don't know what to do!" His garbled cries turned into all-out sobs.

Chris's voice came back surprisingly calm despite the information he had just been shot with. However there was an underlining tension beneath his voice. And it threatened to break. "You're at your place, correct? Okay, I'm on my way." There came the sound of keys being jangled. Furniture being pushed aside in a turbulent hurry "Keep him warm. Warp him in blankets. And above all else, make sure he keeps breathing. And keep calm, Shadow. I'm coming. Hold on. I gotta go now… I'm running to the car. If his condition deteriorates further, call 911." And he hung up. Shadow's blood went ice cold and his heart almost stopped in his chest.

Gulping, crying yet trying to hold it together, Shadow ripped out a soft, wooly medical blanket from under the bed and covered Sonic's chilled body with it. Being careful with him, Shadow wrapped him up and took him into his arms. Sonic's limpness was beyond true horror. It was like holding a doll whose limbs had been loosely attached. Shadow tried to get past the unsettling sensation, crying uncontrollably. Gripping him tightly in his arms and pressing Sonic's cold cheek against his chest fuzz, he left the bedroom and started down the stairs. "Wake up, Sonic. Wake up for me, please!" His tears were like rainwater. They kept rolling down like the sorrow in his heart. "Why didn't you say anything? Why?"

Despite the distance, Chris managed to get to their home incredibly fast, even if he had accumulated about half a dozen speeding tickets. He jammed his breaks on, causing his car to screech tightly outside the house with an ear-shattering squeal. That was the signal, and Shadow ran out of the house, carrying Sonic's body closely to him. He jumped into the car.

But the car never got going again for a very long time.

**XXXXXX**

The funeral was held on Wednesday the 29th of October on a cold, windy day. They all stood in a solemn, dejected line as the small casket was lowered into the earth. Shadow dropped the red roses on its front once the casket had hit the bottom. Chris threw the first handful of dirt inside the hole. All were wearing black, including Ella and Mr. Tanaka and his new partner Topaz, who had come with their own family. Rouge came with Knuckles; all in a procession of mourning black.

Maybe time stopped, if just for a second as the wind blew on. The preacher said his vows. The last of the autumn leaves scurried through the air, being whipped into a heartbroken frenzy. Chris was clutching Tails' hand tight. Amy had a black veil over her eyes so that Shadow couldn't see the tears that fell.

For the longest time, the elder hedgehog was utterly convinced that Christopher Thorndyke would blame him for Sonic's sudden death. But he didn't. The grown boy blamed himself. Though the words were unspoken, Shadow knew.

Time moved on again. The world had become a quiet, dead thing. And for a time all Shadow felt was copious anger. He was devastated and mad all at once. And for a long time, he was mad at Sonic. It replaced the sadness into something else. It was Sonic's fault that he had left him. Just like that. But after awhile, the infectious anger dissolved too until he was confronted by what had happened all over again. The mortification was all that was left. It just wasn't real. He half expected the little blue hero to come waltzing down the procession line, smiling and asking what the matter was. Why was everyone so sad?

Shadow kept looking. But he was gone. Sonic was no more.

It was growing darker. The casket was buried many feet under earth and soil. Most mourners had left. Shadow remained in the icy cold like a vagrant without a home.

Yes… yes home. To go back to that empty place. To lie in a double bed without him. To live… without him.

Shadow's tear-filled eyes took in the gravestone for the hundredth time. The wording craved into the stone stood out sharp and cruel in the shadowy light. Sonic's haunting voice filled his head of what he had said a few nights ago after their romp in candlelight; _"I was at the threshold, I guess. Wondering which road to go down. So many choices. I wanted to be with you, and glad it was made so. I've chosen my path, and will keep going with you, all the way. Together, we'll have no regrets."_

The tree branches rustled in disdain. Shadow's ears didn't even prick at the noise.

He had broken down and cried for days since his death. He was too exhausted now to follow the same pattern.

In the gathering darkness, his voice sounded disjointed. Croaky and sore. Not like himself. But it didn't matter.

"Sonic, you made me feel real again. With you the world was bursting with color because you were with me. Now you are gone and a part of me is gone."

_I can't hold you anymore…._

_I'm in a million pieces._

_Like water in my hands, you're nothing I can hold…_

Their past conversations flowed through his head like notes of music.

'_You have to face facts that she's gone now. And whether you like it or not, you're stuck with me.'_

'_You don't love me!'_

'_I do! Why else do you think I stayed?'_

Shadow leaned against the headstone, feeling its cold, hard surface against him, offering no solace.

'_Let's enjoy what we can… in the one life that we've got.'_

'_Yes… I suppose.'_

'_I knew you'd speak with your heart, Shades. I knew you could change. I knew you could do it. I believed in you, when no one else did. And it makes me proud. You've overcome yourself.'_

Shadow had taken Sonic for granted. Overlooked his needs. His desires. All in place of his own. And now it was too late. They may have chosen the same road to go down, but Shadow had unintentionally been on his own road all along without letting anyone else join him. He had let Sonic join too little too late. And just like Maria… it was over.

Chris stepped over towards him, boots cracking on dry twigs and cold stone. He stood for a time behind him, trying to find the courage to speak. When he did, he said softly, "it's time to go Shadow. I'll take you home. It's getting late."

"No. I'm not getting into that car again. No. I'll... I'll walk thank you."

"Don't be a stranger, Shadow. You're welcome round my place anytime."

Shadow forced himself not to react when Chris bent down just enough to give his shoulder a good, loving squeeze before departing. And Shadow was once again alone with the wind and the eclipsing dusk. And the gravestone.

"I wish I could go back through time," Shadow was saying in a rough, husky voice, "and meet you at the crossroads again for a second chance. A second chance… You're right. I threw it all away." _And I lost you._

Just then, a high, yet soft wind flashed by, and Shadow braced against the tremendous energy as the gust passed. He watched the trees dance and rustle, seizing in the wind as it blew southerly towards the downs at the bottom of the hill.

Sonic had not gone at all. He was still here, protecting them.

He was in the wind. All the time. Shadow drew himself to his feet and smiled sadly.

"Thank you for giving me that chance."

XXX

Sometimes the gales were strong and cold, but it was him, dashing past, unseen.

The grass blew up in tethers. The bushes rhythmically moved in unison.

He was there, always.

And sometimes, it was said, that you can hear the slight pound of his feet as he comes rushing by at super speed before the gusts follow and chase him up and down the hills.

The wind and storm are his.

Whenever someone feels that sudden breeze or that startling gust that comes suddenly on a bright summer's day or in a winter blizzard, they know that it is him. And that he is free.

_'If I could flow like the wind_  
><em>I would reach you<em>  
><em>If I could shine like a moon<em>  
><em>I would keep shining on you'<em>

_'Song by Ayumi Hamasaki - Moments'_

**The End**

**11/10/11**


	11. Epilogue

**Dib07: Guess what day it is! Pat yourself on the back if you know the significance! This Epilogue is a special treat to all Crossroad fans. If you still like how it ended, ignore this update. This is however, Crossroad's true ending which is a teaser for it's_ maybe_ sequal. So yeah, that's it. I'll let the story speak for itself. It does all the hard work for me.**

**Epilogue**

"Jesus!"

He launched upright panting, slick, sly sweat running down his armpits and upper chest. The room was mottled dark. The alarm clock on his bedside ticking away in its usual ignorant fashion. Lights of the late-night cars passing made brief, soft passing flashes that splashed across the curtains like flailing torch lights.

The bedroom bookstand stood solemn and black against the white wall. A glass of water sat, stagnant and opaque by the LED alarm clock that still ticked and ticked irksomely. His tired, aching eyes took in the time as loose, hot breath still stormed out his throat.

He shivered, muscles strained from his own profuse shivering. He felt like a nervous child. A dejected, sullen pup.

But…

In the darkness, he groped beside him, feeling for that definite space, the emptiness in the double bed where another lay and did not. A gap that could never be filled. The sheets always cold and unkind. However, this time, he hand came into contact with a small, unyielding object. The contact was so sudden and misgiving that Shadow drew his hand back at once and put his fingers to his lips. There was someone in here with him. Could it be?

Again his hand, shaky and uncontrolled, reached out and groped into the suffocating blackness that refused to reveal all. The midnight air infuriated him. He wanted to see!

He nudged the object hard and a small grunt came from the shove.

"Sonic?"

He blinked in the cold, unfriendly darkness. Was he… was he dreaming?

He rose both hands up and rubbed his eyes madly. They came away, eyes sore and rapidly opening and shutting.

Gathering his fear into a ball and swallowing it down, he leaned down towards the sleeping lump beside him. He could hear breathing. Slow and peaceful. And he could also hear a weedy heartbeat, but a heartbeat nonetheless.

This was too much. Way too much.

Shadow went to reach for his beside lamp, strained outward with his fingers outstretched, and missed. He fell right out of bed, taking half the duvet with him. This snapped his partner wide awake. "Shades… what the..? Is that you, or do we have an intruder in the house?"

Shadow groped upwards, charging towards the bedroom wall, skull connecting angrily with the edge of the open door. "Fuck!" Hands pressed against plaster. Reaching, fumbling for the light switch like a child screaming for light, light to make the demons go away. To bring back normality.

The lights flew on, exposing the room in deep, gossamer illumination that revealed the bare bones on illusion, sanity and nightmare. Hastily rubbing at his eyes, Sonic pulled himself into a sitting position on his end of the bed, cheeks an alabaster white. Impatient to know what was going on, he dropped his hands from his eyes and forced them to cope with the sudden clarity of light. He shot Shadow a fierce, annoyed look of dispassion and dismay. "It's three in the morning, dude! You have water at your bedside!"

Shadow gulped, hard. His legs felt like they were going to completely buckle. Or slop down to the floor like water. His stomach was as cold as ice. "S-Stay there…" He said huskily, even his voice was shaking, "I'm going to make a call. Stay in b-bed…"

Sonic cocked his head to one side, pupils still close and constricted. "Who are ya gonna call? It's three in the morning!"

"Just stay there! Don't move!"

"Why not? I can move if I want! I don't have to pay do I?" This last remark fell on air as Shadow dashed out the door so fast Sonic heard him whack into the next wall out on the landing. The blue blur was stricken with worry. He didn't like the way Shadow was suddenly acting.

XXX

His skull and knees hurt where he went into battle with the walls, stair banister and laundry bin. He practically fell down the stairs rushing his way through like a murderer intent on scoping his way for freedom.

Compulsively, he switched on every single light switch he came across, showering the many rooms in bright, crystal light. It pushed back the horror a little. Pushed back the dreams. Made things seem less, surreal.

The phone was like a chaos emerald. He gripped the handle so hard he almost cracked the plastic coating around it. Lifting it from the cradle, he pressed the listening piece to his ear and dialed the numbers. Often he turned back to the kitchen doorway, wondering if the ghost would follow him back down. "Shit, shit. Just a dream. Okay, get a hold of yourself. You still have time. You still have time, dammit!" He had used the kitchen phone so that Sonic wouldn't hear the conversation, wouldn't even know.

The dial tones ran out. Infinitely. Infuriatingly.

_Come on, come on! Oh please, oh please!_

The sweat gathered and softly trickled down his muzzle and the exposed palms of his hands.

Ten minutes in, and Chris wasn't answering.

Should he call 911? Would they arrive even if it wasn't a direct emergency yet? He could imagine how the conversation would go:

"_Hello, I need an ambulance please."_

"_What's your emergency, Sir?"_

"_I had a dream. Yeah, my partner died and I dreamt it. Send someone over now!"_

"_Sir, I think you need to go and have a lie down."_

The phone line_ finally_ clicked on the other end, and Shadow heard a groggy human answer in a phlegm filled voice, "whoo iz it?"

"Chris, it's Shadow. Fucking come over, now! And bring over your vet kit! Immediately!" Too freaked perhaps, because the situation spooked him like it did in his dream, _too real, too real_, he slammed the phone back down on its cradle before he offered the chance for Chris to acknowledge his request.

He stood by the phone, breathing really hard. Half expecting Chris to ring back. The other half hoping he wouldn't and just get his arse over here. He'd come. Oh, he'd come all right, they'd bundle Sonic into his car…take him to the hospital. No wait… the car… no…. the memories were simply too sharp. The car… Sonic freaked at it yesterday was it? Oh gods, what day was it? And the sweat… dripping off Shadow like a waterfall.

He risked running to the bathroom to grab a towel. Then he began to rub off the worst of the excess fluids. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the clock above the storage room window. 3:10am. His dream…. Oh gods… Sonic collapsed completely at 10:15am. He had… still had seven hours, give or take.

The countdown had started.

Shadow went back down into the kitchen, posing decrepitly by the phone as if expecting it to drone with its ear-spilling ringtones. However, it sat in its cradle, silent and dead. _Lifeless._

"Shades?"

"HOLY HELL!" The elder flipped round, chest heaving. His instinctively pressed his back against the counter as if some midnight unicorn had crashed into the place. Sonic, small and loathe with annoyance, stood on the tiled flooring with his scrawny arms folded. He had not only found his blue vest, but was wearing it. "I thought you were mad before. Now you're insane, buddy. Or did your brain depart suddenly in the night?"

"I thought I told you to stay in bed!" He growled, unable to keep the conviction there. It couldn't be weighed down. It floated upwards like mulish fear. And there was no strength in his words anymore. Even his thoughts once organized and logical, became like marshy swamp gas. The more he reached for it, the more it fizzled.

"You can't tell me to do anything." Arms still folded across his bony clothed chest, he took a stalwart step forward. "Come on, fess up. What's this about? Or did you find out that I dropped a penny on the way here from work the other day?"

Shadow swallowed again, throat starting to hurt. "Sit down. In the lounge, now."

"Do I get a milkshake with your orders? You woke me up, Shades. I like my sleep!"

"In lounge! NOW! Jesus, don't make me slap you!" He grounded forwards, trying to will the shakes in his legs to go away. But they wouldn't. Instead, he focused on doing something. Action. Action would drive back some of the fear and ghostly surrealistic dimension he appeared to be living in. So, he grabbed Sonic's tiny wrist and started dragging him towards the lounge. Sonic resisted once, not having an ounce of strength to put up a fight.

"I thought this was all behind us, bud. Ouch, hey, watch the tail!" He was thrown onto a pile of cushions by the hearth.

"Turn the fire on;" Shadow admonished sharply like a school teacher out to dish some punishment, "I'll be back."

Sonic emulated his words quietly in a sulky, angry fashion. He turned to the hearth, ears bent back, tail bristled out.

Shadow was not gone long. He returned with two of Chris's regimented supplements on a tray with a glass of electrolyte water. Each meal was a tiny mushy dinner and was packaged individually with Clingfilm with its own secured plastic spoon. "Eat." He said, setting the tray carefully down before an awkward, puzzled Sonic. The hearth was on a low heat as it began to warm up. For now, it was adequate.

"Hullo? Three in the morning! Actually, twenty minutes past. Think of the sleep I am missing! And you want me to eat too?"

"You should be eating these every few hours." Shadow knelt before him, eyes glimmering red in astute seriousness.

"I can't manage that much!"

"You _must_!" His ears shot down flat when the doorbell rang out fiercely. _Just _had _to get interrupted now._ He thought angrily.

He felt like popping glass. Shredding ribbons to ribbons. Swallowing fire.

With a gruff growl, he rose to answer the door. Sonic made a polite move to come with him. Shadow pushed him gently back down on the cushions. "Stay!"

Chris stood on the welcome mat, his red car parked right outside. The same place he screeched to a stop in his dream. Shadow flash froze for a moment before slowly beginning to breathe again.

"You're getting to me, Shadow." The grown-boy said. He looked tired. He hadn't shaved (he wouldn't at three in the morning), and already the winter frost had veneered the skin of his coat. It was _that_ cold. And the frost… it sparkled on the pavement like icing. Glossy, diamond icing. "Why did you call me? Is it…" The words hung on his lips_. ..Sonic?_

That would be after all, the only reason he'd fall out of bed for any time of day or night. Sonic was so lucky to have so many cherish him.

"Did you bring the kit with you? All your medical shit?"

Chris rose it up in his white-knuckled fist to show him the hard, slim line case he carried. "Yes. And you better start softening your language. Now can you tell me what this is all about before I go back home?"

"Get inside; you're letting all the cold air in." Shadow tugged him in by grabbing the flap of his coat. The man tripped in, shaking the snow from his boots while the elder slammed the door shut.

Chris promptly started removing his boots and coat, setting them aside in a melting heap on the floor. "Man, it's warm in here. I didn't know you could afford the heating bills."

Shadow gazed at him almost ruthlessly, "come into the lounge with me."

And so Chris found out where the heat was coming from. The hearth was up full blast and Sonic was forcing a spoonful of mush down his throat from the one opened packet. The other remained intact on the tray. When he saw who was entering, he looked up, smiling sardonically. "Well look who came to join the party! Shadow woke you up too? At least I'm not the only one losing sleep then! Hey, Chris you should try some of this stuff. It tastes like sour cream that's been forgotten in the fridge for about a month."

"It's not supposed to taste nice." Chris replied forcefully.

"Nice case ya got."

"Thanks. It's my animal tool kit." He put the case down and sat beside his friend who for now, had put the cup of food down on the tray. "Shadow," he began lucidly, tiredly, "you do not wake people up unnecessarily. Not just that, but you really scared me. I thought Sonic…"

Shadow sauntered over, lips raised to form a sour expression of hard calamity. "I had a dream."

"Okaaaay… Have you been drinking?"

"This is serious!" He cried throatily, willing himself to keep his voice down, which he was finding harder and harder to do. "Sonic," he addressed, the blue hedgehog looking up immediately in dull recognition, "I had a dream. It was mid-morning. A GUN official came over to install new cameras into the house."

"What?"

"Hold on!" He snapped, looking from flabbergasted human to startled hog, "anyway, I dealt with him, let him go. Sonic, a little while later, you fell on the floor. I picked you up, carried you to bed. You asked for the vest…" He looked away, eyes searching the floor for courage. But it was not to be found. "Chris came in his car to help. You died."

"Died of what?" Sonic asked, looking up at him in plain disbelief. "Shades…you have one big imagination."

"Don't you get it?" He shouted, causing them both to jump, "it… was…wasn't a dream…it'll happen!"

Chris rubbed at the stubble on his chin. He looked to Sonic skeptically. The blue hedgehog gave a limp, innocent shrug, saying calmly, "I know nothing, pal. He must have lost another screw in bed. I have been picking them up quite often."

Chris turned back to Shadow. "Look, dreams can be a bit scary, I agree. However, drinking surplus alcohol can affect the mind, producing surreal nightmares during REM sleep. It must have triggered this." His eyes glinted at Sonic, then he added surreptitiously, "if you're that worried, we could send him up to the hospital."

"You and who's army?" Sonic inquired to show his worth. "I cannot help it if Shades has lost it but…don't I get any say? Cuz I vote you both go for therapy and maybe a brain dissection at the end of it."

Chris rubbed at his face, tired and sullen. There was clearly nothing wrong here. Shadow had woken up scared. Granted, it took a lot to get Shadow so worked up over something, but as of late he had been acting very _off _with Sonic for the past few weeks.

"At least give him a checkup." Shadow protested, not giving an inch until he got something. "And I'm getting more drinks and food. Don't leave until I say!"

Chris shook his head as Shadow dived through the door. "Did he have too much corn on the cob or something?"

"At least I get hooked with another prisoner." Sonic opened his mouth to emit a big, cavernous yawn. "You try to leave and he'll blow you a new air hole. So it'll be cool if you do stay, at least until he's satisfied I'm okay. Or else…we'll keep meeting like this."

Chris nodded absently. "Shadow is wrong though, right? You feeling okay? No pain anywhere? Headaches? Feeling generally tired?"

"Yeah! I was woken at three in the morning by a paranoid psycho! I wanna go back to bed!"

Chris, heartfelt by his words, gave him a gentle hug of which Sonic returned. "Sonic, listen," he whispered, "I'll take you away. Shadow's upsetting me too much with how he's been treating you. The day after the party, I believed every word he said. I gave him the benefit of the doubt. Now I take that back."

"Chris…he's trying…he's damaged goods."

"Not this time. Give me time to set up a pad at my place and you're staying over."

"We had this discussion, buddy. My job, remember? I'm due to rehearse this evening."

Shadow came back in with steaming cups of tea. He growled when he saw the human touching his partner. Reluctantly, Chris departed from his blue friend. "Look, Shadow," the man said, "let him go back to sleep. This is ridiculous. Look, I'll stay over for the morning if you want, but I have work to get to."

"Don't you know how serious this is? I am not joking!"

"It was just a dream! Calm down! He's okay." He spoke for him, "have you been giving him his meals? Well, good. That should keep him for a week."

"Well," Sonic rose up on his thin legs, "I'm going to bed. Next time ya gonna wake me, bring a shield."

He nodded at Chris in polite farewell before tackling the stairs. Shadow craned his neck round the doorway to watch his ginger progress, fragments of the dream coming back to him stronger than ever.

"I'll stay," Chris repeated at his back, "I'll stay… but… I think you're gonna need therapy." He watched Shadow's ears fall back in anger, "I know you're worried about him, I really do, but you are scaring me. Lord knows what he feels about this. Lucky for you he put on a brave face and got on with it."

Shadow looked more than ready to forge a reply. Stand his ground. Make a battle of things. But he stalled, the air of rationality knocked from him. He studiously gazed about him, angry and lost.

It was clear that the elder was upset and that this act of his was no ruse for attention. He was beguiled by Sonic, this was obvious. But this odd behavior plainly was unhealthy.

The man rose to his own feet, leaving the case by the growling hearth, "come on. Let's get some coffee going."

"I just wanna check on him…make sure…"

Chris put a gentle hand on his shoulder. Shadow almost stooped down by the sudden flashback of the dream. The grave… Chris's hand on his shoulder that day. "Leave him be. He'll be fine."

They sat and had coffee in an overly bright kitchen while the windows revealed nothing but abysmal black of early morning. Shadow incessantly eyed the clock on the adjacent wall, ears drawn to it as well as his eyes. Chris noticed this too, but continued sipping at his coffee. "I know what sparked this dream." He said, "after the party. Us revealing to you _his_ little problem. They say we dream what we worry about on subconscious levels that can't be denied. You had a nightmare that he died. I understand. But it wasn't the future you dreamt. It was worry and bad thoughts that sparked it. When I was young and was ready to do my driver's test, during the night before it was due, I had a nightmare that I got into the car, and I dreamt that I couldn't handle its power and speed. I dreamt that I ran over an old lady. I woke up, chilled to the bone, convinced that it had actually happened, only it hadn't. I took the test, and I passed. Shadow, you need to lighten up. No wonder Sonic's stressed."

"If you had dreamt what I had dreamt…" He said, eyes trailing away from the clock and into his empty coffee cup. "I just feel…like something bad is gonna happen. Somehow…soon. I can't shake it. I get instinctive about these things. I felt exactly like this before…before those troops infiltrated the Ark and targeted…" He stopped, feeling girlish for acting so dramatic. "There's darkness at work here. My mind is telling me its coming."

Chris shook his head, moderately calmer than when he had felt upon first arriving.

"But…" Shadow pressed, refusing to meet eyes with the human, "why did Sonic jump when he was about to get into the car? Said he had a bad feeling? I dreamt that he died in it…you came…in the car to take him…and he…he…"

"Shadow, stop it. I checked under my seat once I dropped you two off. What had him freaked was a half rotten burger that must have rolled out from my shopping the other week. That's all it was. He smelt it and reacted, disgusted. I would be too."

"But it was so real!"

"More coffee?"

The morning deepened and the sun finally rose, ribbing the sky in speckled colors of red, gold and burnt yellows. Tired, Chris catnapped on the sofa in the warm lounge. Shadow paced backwards and forwards, relentlessly stressed. Something didn't fit. Why the dream? Why the bad feeling?

At 9 in the morning, Sonic came down to make himself some breakfast, still optimistic despite having been forced from his sleep in the dark hours for a period.

The time of Sonic's collapse from the dream came and went. Nothing happened, and Shadow was struck with misgiving uncertainty, and a meager portion of relief. So, what had happened to the GUN official?

The coffee cups were left stacked in the dirty sink, the sunlight a rich, but cold thing illuminating the worktops. When Shadow next looked out the window, scrubbing a coffee cup with a towel, he saw a few people dressed in black with helmets seemed to fold in from the sidewalk. "GUN…"

He turned to run; warn the others. Someone opened fired and the window came down in a screen of crystal.

The coffee cup feel and shattered.

Shadow was caught in the crossroads. Go back and warn his partner and friend? Or fight them head on? Without knowing that they were safe?

He chose to fight.

Teeth bared, he raised his arm upwards. _Fuck restraints. I'm using my powers!_

But they didn't come. What he could use before had now gone. The soldiers shot him down.

Sonic rose from his place at the desk in the lounge where he had been eating another one of Chris's potions. The sounds of smashing glass begged his attention. But Chris was already up. He grabbed Sonic and knew there was only one way to go. Through the lounge window overlooking the street.

**The End**


	12. Author's Note for Crossroads Finale

**Author's Note:**

**Dib:** Hiya guys, just a quick little notification that the Crossroads sequel has been uploaded called: Crossroads Finale. It continues straight from the original and will start to clear a lot up of what has happened. Thank you guys and gals! Hoorah! XD

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